PRIME MINISTER

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed his possible attendance at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo during his recent bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Harper of Canada.

David Cameron: I discussed a number of issues, including the Commonwealth, with Prime Minister Harper during our recent meeting.

Females

Kate Green: To ask the Prime Minister which (a) women's sector organisations and (b) women's interest groups Councillor Laura Trott has met in her role as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister since February 2012.

David Cameron: Special advisers have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

India

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Prime Minister what criteria were used to select which backbench hon. Members would accompany him on his recent trip to India; and what the cost was of travel and board for those hon. Members.

David Cameron: Representatives from the three main political parties accompanied me on my recent trip to India and they were selected on the basis of their expertise and experience. The cost will be accounted for in the published list of Ministers' visits overseas.

Policy Unit

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Prime Minister what relationships the hon. Members appointed by him serve on the Conservative Policy Board have with the Downing Street Policy Unit; whether they (a) have access to government papers, (b) are required to make a declaration of interests in the same manner as Ministers of the Crown and (c) are bound by government collective responsibility.

David Cameron: Members of the Conservative Party Policy Board are not members of the Government and therefore will not be bound by Government collective responsibility. Nor will they have access to Government papers.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General when the Crown Prosecution Service decided to procure 4,700 tablet computers from Logica.

Oliver Heald: As an integral part of the department's Transforming Through Technology programme the Crown Prosecution Service decided in principle to procure tablet style devices for use by advocates in court in June 2011 when standard laptops were assessed as not fit for purpose for in-court presentation of digital cases. The decision to procure the model “HP Elitebook 2760p” from Logica was made in November 2011.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to his answer of 24 April 2013, Official Report, column 926W, on Crown Prosecution Service: training, for what reason there were no places on the Crown Prosecution Service in-house advocacy course in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) in-house Crown Advocacy training courses have been run on the basis of need, such as in the case of new appointments, promotions and professional development. The training consists of three separate courses, each of which must be passed before advocates, whether solicitors or barristers, are permitted to prosecute in the Crown Court on behalf of the Service. In 2011, the requirement to train more advocates ceased, as there were sufficient numbers of Crown Advocates who had passed the relevant levels of training course, to meet the current (at the time) and future needs of the CPS for the purposes of public prosecutions in the Crown Courts.
	This situation has continued, therefore, in-house advocacy courses were not run in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how much was spent by the Crown Prosecution Service on external advocacy in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accounting data show that in 2012-13 and each of the preceding 10 years expenditure on external advocacy services (including advisory work) was:
	
		
			  CPS expenditure on advocacy services (£) 
			 2003-04 145,934,187 
			 2004-05 160,916,796 
			 2005-06 156,474,715 
			 2006-07 153,729,171 
			 2007-08 146,929,334 
			 2008-09 133,014,046 
			 2009-10 141,291,173 
			 2010-11 137,492,243 
			 2011-12 114,071,793 
			 2012-13 118,688,986

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Attorney-General how much funding (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible has allocated to the London Borough of Enfield in each of the last five years.

Oliver Heald: None.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Attorney-General what the current level of expenditure by the Law Officers' Departments is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Oliver Heald: The Serious Fraud Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate have not incurred any expenditure with the G4S group of companies during this period.
	TSol has spent £9,257 with the G4S group of companies since 2008. Apart from the expenditure in 2011, which relates to training services provided to the AGO, the remaining expenditure relates exclusively to the maintenance of a security system provided for a building in Taunton, which TSol leases, but does not occupy. The following table summarises total expenditure with the G4S group of companies for each year since 2008.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008 1,897 
			 2009 3,041 
			 2010 2,185 
			 2011 1,112 
			 2012 1,022 
			 Total 9,257 
		
	
	TSol has not incurred any spending with the G4S group of companies since 2012.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has spent £210,701 with G4S group companies since 2008. During this time G4S have supplied security services such as key holding, guarding and maintenance of building control systems. In August 2012 the department awarded a new facilities management contract with Europa Facilities Services Ltd and the majority of services previously supplied by G4S are now delivered under this contract. G4S remain under contract at a small number of sites and as these agreements expire or if it is cost effective to do so earlier, these services will also be added to the Europa contract. Current expenditure with G4S group companies is approximately £2,500 per month. The following table summarises total expenditure with G4S group companies for each year since 2008.
	
		
			  £000 
			 2008 27 
			 2009 36 
			 2010 45 
			 2011 48 
			 2012 48 
			 2013 7 
			 Total 211

Goldman Sachs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Attorney-General if he will set in train proceedings to prosecute Goldman Sachs for tax evasion.

Oliver Heald: The responsibility for determining whether there are grounds to pursue a criminal investigation against an individual or company in relation to alleged tax evasion falls to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, which is operationally independent from the Attorney-General. Where a criminal investigation has taken place it falls to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether or not a prosecution for a criminal offence is justified.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions were discontinued in the magistrates court by way of a written notice under section 23 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds figures for the number of defendant prosecutions discontinued in the magistrates court by way of a written notice under section 23 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 for the last nine financial years.
	
		
			  Prosecutions with outcome—Discontinued S.23 
			 2004-05 40,001 
			 2005-06 39,596 
			 2006-07 37,513 
			 2007-08 33,200 
			 2008-09 30,226 
			 2009-10 30,665 
			 2010-11 32,540 
			 2011-12 30,226 
			 2012-13 26,809

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions were discontinued in the magistrates court because the defence successfully applied for the prosecution to be stayed in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds figures for the number of defendant prosecutions discontinued in the magistrates court after a successful defence application for the prosecution to be stayed for the last seven financial years. These are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Prosecutions with outcome—prosecution stayed 
			 2006-07 185 
			 2007-08 178 
			 2008-09 144 
			 2009-10 122 
			 2010-11 210 
			 2011-12 156 
			 2012-13 184

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases were dropped because the Crown Prosecution Service considered that the cost of prosecution would not be warranted by the likely final sentence in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not decide to terminate proceedings on the factor of cost alone. Prosecutors are asked, under the revised Code for Crown Prosecutors, to consider whether a prosecution is proportionate. The cost to the CPS and the wider criminal justice system is taken into account where it could be regarded as excessive when weighed against any likely penalty but prosecutors must also consider other factors in accordance with The Code for Crown Prosecutors when making an overall assessment of the public interest in prosecuting.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) magistrates' court and (b) Crown court cases were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (i) pre-charge and (ii) post-charge in (A) 2012-13 and (B) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not drop cases pre-charge; rather prosecutors decide in the most serious and sensitive cases, whether or not a person should be charged with a criminal offence. This decision is made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors in relation to whether there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that such a prosecution is in the public interest. The number of cases where the CPS has decided to take no further action is provided for the last eight financial years. During this period the category of cases in which the CPS advised on charge has changed so that now 72% of CPS prosecutions result from charging decisions made by the police.
	
		
			  No prosecution  
			 Financial year Evidential Public interest Total pre-charge decisions 
			 2005-06 163,880 14,280 562,140 
			 2006-07 169,821 16,319 582,760 
			 2007-08 147,797 13,154 547,050 
			 2008-09 130.450 10,445 532,427 
			 2009-10 119,682 7,820 477,522 
			 2010-11 114,558 5,586 468,656 
			 2011-12 85,030 4,074 369,564 
			 2012-13 70,844 3,072 309,315 
		
	
	The CPS maintains a central record of the outcomes of prosecutions (by defendant) that conclude in both the magistrates and Crown courts. Dropped cases include those where the CPS discontinue, withdraw or offer-no evidence; or where the prosecution or indictment is stayed or charges are left to lie on file.
	The number of prosecutions (by defendant) dropped in the Crown and magistrates court for the last nine financial years are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Magistrates court Crown court 
			 2004-05 145,496 13,955 
			 2005-06 126,124 12,663 
			 2006-07 107,651 12,290 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 95,513 12,509 
			 2008-09 80,661 12,198 
			 2009-10 78,901 12,930 
			 2010-11 80,942 15,041 
			 2011-12 75,612 12,670 
			 2012-13 68,128 11,338

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the Crown Prosecution Service's conviction rate has been in cases where the defendant has pleaded not guilty in each of the last 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the outcomes of cases where the defendant has pleaded not guilty and the prosecution proceed to trial. The number of prosecutions (by defendant) that resulted in a conviction following a plea of not guilty for the last nine financial years are as follows:
	
		
			  Convictions Unsuccessful Total contests following a NG plea 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number 
			 2004-05 71,053 70.8 29,302 29.2 100,355 
			 2005-06 64,264 68.6 29,467 31.4 93,731 
			 2006-07 56,092 66.5 28,241 33.5 84,333 
			 2007-08 57,678 68.0 27,137 32.0 84,815 
			 2008-09 53,579 66.4 27,082 33.6 80,661 
			 2009-10 53,273 64.5 29,291 35.5 82,564 
			 2010-11 52,434 64.4 29,024 35.6 81,458 
			 2011-12 50,885 65.9 26,285 34.1 77,170 
			 2012-13 46,532 64.6 25,503 35.4 72,035 
		
	
	Please note that these figures include cases where a defendant has pleaded guilty to some, but not all, of the charges and the prosecution has continued to trial on the charges, where a not guilty plea has been entered.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the Crown Prosecution Service's conviction rate has been in cases in which the defendant has pleaded not guilty of (a) rape, (b) murder, (c) murder where the case was prosecuted by a single counsel and (d) murder where there were multiple defendants and a single prosecution counsel in each of the last 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the outcomes of cases where the defendant has pleaded not guilty and the prosecution proceeded to trial. Cases where suspects are considered for offences of rape are identified by way of a monitoring flag. Flagged data are available for the last seven financial years. The outcomes of cases where a rape flag has been applied and the defendant has pleaded not guilty are as follows:
	
		
			  Convictions Unsuccessful All contests 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number 
			 2006-07 701 51.1 670 48.9 1,371 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 805 55.6 643 44.4 1,448 
			 2008-09 809 55.9 639 44.1 1,448 
			 2009-10 878 53.3 769 46.7 1,647 
			 2010-11 988 51.8 920 48.2 1,908 
			 2011-12 1,064 57.4 791 42.6 1,855 
			 2012-13 1,026 56.0 806 44.0 1,832 
		
	
	The CPS's case management system does not allow the monitoring of murder cases. However, the principal offence category, which indicates the most serious offence with which the defendant is charged at the time of finalisation, allows the disaggregation of cases where the most serious offence has been categorised as ‘Homicide'. The homicide category will include murder cases but also prosecutions for manslaughter and other offences. Data are available for the last eight financial years. The outcomes of cases identified as homicide cases where the defendant has pleaded not guilty are as follows:
	
		
			  Convictions Unsuccessful All contests 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number 
			 2005-06 537 76.7 163 23.3 700 
			 2006-07 485 76.1 152 23.9 637 
			 2007-08 503 76.3 156 23.7 659 
			 2008-09 630 82.7 132 17.3 762 
			 2009-10 514 76.1 161 23.9 675 
			 2010-11 474 81.7 106 18.3 580 
			 2011-12 433 82.5 92 17.5 525 
			 2012-13 484 79.3 126 20.7 610 
		
	
	Please note that these figures include cases where a defendant has pleaded guilty to some, but not all, of the charges and the prosecution has continued to trial on the charges where a not guilty plea has been entered. The CPS do not hold a central record of the outcomes of murder cases prosecuted by a single counsel or of murder cases which involved multiple defendants and such information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the cost to the Crown Prosecution Service was of delays caused by trials that were ineffective because of prosecution error in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the proportion of trials that were ineffective because of prosecution error. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by undertaking a manual exercise of reviewing individual case files at a disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the cost to the Crown Prosecution Service was of trials that were cracked because of prosecution error in (a) 2012-13 and (b) each of the preceding 10 years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of the proportion of trials that were cracked because of prosecution error. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by undertaking a manual exercise of reviewing individual case files at a disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to the answer of 23 April 2013, Official Report, columns 825-6W, on criminal proceedings, if he provide a breakdown by offence of the cases in which the prosecution offered no evidence in the Crown Court and Magistrates' Court in (a) 2012-13 and (b) the five preceding years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records prosecution cases according to its principal offence category (POC). The POC indicates the most serious offence with which each defendant is charged at the time of finalisation. The POCs of the cases reported in the answer of 23 April 2013, Official Report, columns 825-26W, are provided in the following tables.
	
		
			 Principal offence categories for cases where the CPS offered no evidence 
			 Crown court 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Homicide 58 27 41 26 51 
			 Offences Against The Person 3,057 3,373 4,188 3,387 2,793 
			 Sexual Offences 852 826 998 881 696 
			 Burglary 679 758 870 935 892 
			 Robbery 773 745 916 924 863 
			 Theft and Handling 843 904 1,101 943 733 
			 Fraud and Forgery 312 397 509 569 567 
			 Criminal Damage 99 116 106 133 87 
			 Drugs Offences 474 572 626 623 618 
			 Public Order Offences 689 821 991 676 548 
			 All Other Offences (excluding Motoring) 628 728 898 774 641 
			 Motoring Offences 136 122 124 120 103 
			 No Category 1,134 1,148 1,101 658 620 
		
	
	
		
			 Magistrates court 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Homicide 16 5 2 7 5 
			 Offences Against The Person 8,987 9,793 10,750 10,831 10,625 
			 Sexual Offences 87 75 89 86 76 
			 Burglary 521 493 539 563 535 
			 Robbery 320 274 267 312 294 
			 Theft And Handling 2,018 1,851 2,041 2,075 2,208 
			 Fraud And Forgery 155 130 119 121 195 
			 Criminal Damage 1,625 1,607 1,656 1,536 1,482 
			 Drugs Offences 303 258 254 248 279 
			 Public Order Offences 2,779 2,640 2,702 2,151 1,748 
			 All Other Offences (excluding Motoring) 1,462 1,317 1,421 1,310 1,199 
		
	
	
		
			 Motoring Offences 6,685 6,082 5,734 5,410 4,934 
			 No Category 811 732 533 306 305

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Attorney-General what steps the Law Officers' Departments are taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to the Law Officers' Departments' executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Oliver Heald: All of the staff working on procurement in the Law Officers' Departments are aware of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the need to consider it when letting new contracts for services.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has a centralised procurement function and the Treasury Solicitor's Department, Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate have transferred their procurement function to the Crown Prosecution Service under a shared service arrangement. Procurement staff are aware of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the need to consider it when letting new contracts for services.
	In line with Government Procurement Policy, all of the Law Officer's Departments use pre-tendered pan-government contracts wherever possible for the supply of services. Such contracts will have been awarded following an open competition process led by either the Government Procurement Service or another Government Department or public sector body.
	Where a requirement for services cannot be met through a pan-government contract services will be tendered for directly, usually following an open competition process. Tenders are evaluated on total value for money and not price alone. Where appropriate and in addition to considering the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 at the pre-procurement stage, tender evaluation criteria will consider the bidders response in areas such as apprenticeships, training schemes, environmental management and the use of Small and Medium Size Enterprises to deliver the service.

Rape: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many rape prosecutions have been preceded by a pre-trial interview between the prosecutor and the complainant in each of the last five years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service do not maintain a central record of the number of rape prosecutions that have been preceded by a pre-trial interview. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by a manual exercise which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Attorney-General what meetings (a) he and (b) officials in the Law Officers' Departments have had with the right hon. Member of Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme.

Oliver Heald: Neither I and the Attorney-General nor any of our officials have met with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme.

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department about extending the provision of independent sexual violence advisers.

Oliver Heald: None, though the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), chairs the Inter Ministerial Group on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), which I attend. This group monitors and discusses progress against the VAWG action plan, which includes actions in relation to the network of independent sexual violence advisers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Afghanistan

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the granting of political asylum to Afghan political interpreters; and what assessment she has made of differences in this policy and that previously applied to Iraqi interpreters who had worked with UK armed forces.

Mark Harper: Our policy is to consider all asylum applications made in the United Kingdom in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and grant asylum if the individual establishes a need for protection.
	Work is progressing on reviewing how to make appropriate provision to support locally employed civilians as we draw down our combat mission in Afghanistan. As part of this work we have considered both the UK's previous assistance scheme for Iraq and the arrangements that other members of the allied forces have put in place in Afghanistan. We continue to recognise our clear commitment to treat locally engaged staff fairly and appropriately, and to take all reasonable steps to ensure their safety and security beyond the term of their employment with Her Majesty's Government.

Detainees: Overseas Students

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals detained under immigration powers, were detained following closure of their educational establishment as a result of action by her Department, in each quarter since January 2009.

Mark Harper: Information on the reasons for detention are not recorded centrally and would require examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Driving Offences: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists in Bassetlaw constituency in 2011.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not centrally collect data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued for motoring offences at constituency level. Available data relate to FPNs issued at police force area level and were published on 18 April 2013 in the National Statistics internet-only release ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales 2011/12’, which is available in the Library of the House and from the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112
	Nottinghamshire police issued 35,812 FPNs for motoring offences in 2011.

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding (a) her Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible has allocated to the London Borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Department has given grants to the London borough of Enfield as stated in the following table. However, no funding has been given as grants by any of the non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			 Financial year Amount per year (£) 
			 2008-09 849,403 
			 2009-10 996,868 
			 2010-11 862,242 
			 2011-12 263,648 
			 2012-13 640,429 
			 Total over five years 3,612,590

Fireworks

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make possession of (a) smoke bombs and (b) flares in a public place a criminal offence.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2013
	There are no plans to create new offences in respect of smoke bombs or flares as legislation already exists to deal with inappropriate use of such items.
	If an individual was to carry these items with the intent to cause an injury, that individual would be committing an offence of carrying an offensive weapon. It is an offence under section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 for any person to have with them an offensive weapon in a public place
	Moreover, under section 2A of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985 it is an offence to carry flares without lawful authority at a designated sporting event or sports ground.

Immigrants: Detainees

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held in immigration detention centres.

Mark Harper: The latest published figures show that there were 2,685 people who were detained in immigration removal centres, short term holding facilities and pre departure accommodation as at 31 December 2012.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people detained in the UK within Immigration Statistics. The data on people in detention as at the last day of each quarter are readily available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: October to December 2012, table dt.09.q from the Gov.uk website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
	Figures on people held are those detained in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers and exclude those in police cells, Prison Service establishments, short term holding rooms at ports and airports (for less than 24 hours), and those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 2 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr T N Tchinda.

Mark Harper: I have written to the right hon. Member today.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 27 March 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) with regard to Mr Mohammad Yahya Butt.

Mark Harper: I have written to the right hon. Member today.

Metal Theft

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of metal theft there have been in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Pendle constituency in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not currently available from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
	Metal theft offences have been recorded as part of the annual data requirement for the first time for financial year 2012-13 and these will be published later in 2013.

Police

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) how many and (b) what proportion of police officers were in each NRS social grade in each of the last 30 years.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not collect information on police officers by social grade.

Police Authorities

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether local police authorities are required to collect data for the user satisfaction survey.

Damian Green: Police forces are required to collect data from user satisfaction surveys and submit this quarterly to the Department as part of the Annual Data Requirement (ADR). Police authorities were disbanded on 22 November 2012 following the election of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Police Remuneration Review Body

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with Ministers in the devolved administrations of her Department's proposals for the new Police Remuneration Review Body.

Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of partners, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill was introduced on 9 May. Clauses 112 to 115 of the Bill and paragraphs 83 to 88 of the Explanatory Notes reflect the Government's proposals on the Police Remuneration Review Body and the devolution implications of that policy, following consultation and discussions with the relevant partners, including the devolved Administrations.

Police: Complaints

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the role of police and crime commissioners is with regards to public complaints about police handling of their cases.

Damian Green: Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are directly elected to represent the public and ensure they have a voice in how their force is policed, as such they will be taking a keen interest in the public's views on these matters.
	A PCC is the appropriate authority for complaints relating to the chief constable. This means that PCCs are required to deal with complaints against chief constables in accordance with legislation. The chief constable, rather than the PCC, is the appropriate authority for complaints relating to the other police officers and staff in the force, but PCCs are required to keep themselves informed about the chief constable's handling of those complaints.
	Where it appears to the PCC that the chief constable has not complied with a legal obligation in relation to the handling of complaints or has contravened an obligation, the PCC may direct the chief constable to take whatever steps the PCC thinks appropriate. This is set out in greater detail in the Independent Police Complaints Commission's statutory guidance which can be found at: IPCC.gov.uk.

Police: Freedom of Information

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time is for a response to a Freedom of Information request made to (a) South Yorkshire police force and (b) West Yorkshire police force; and what steps she is taking to help these forces improve the efficiency of their replies to Freedom of Information requests.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Forces have a responsibility to comply with the requirements set by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which include timescales.
	Accountability for complying with those requirements rests with chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and no information on timeliness is collected centrally.

Police: Pensions

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department provided for the police pension top-up grant in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Damian Green: The funding of police pensions operates such that each police force pays employer and officer contributions into a separate account. These funds are then used to offset the police pensions in payment by that police force. Where the income into the police force's pensions account from contributions (plus other payments such as inward transfer values) is insufficient to meet the cash cost of pensions in payment now, it is topped up by Home Office grant.
	The Home Office has provided the following top-up funding for 2011-12 and 2012-13 as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 1,064 
			 2012-13 *1,232 
			 *The figure for 2012-13 is based on police forces' initial forecasts. The total may be adjusted once information on police forces' actual income and expenditure has been finalised.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procurement contracts awarded to police forces in England and Wales have incorporated the social value clauses from the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 since implementation of that Act.

Damian Green: Since implementation of that Act, the Home Department has not awarded any contracts to police forces that require a clause under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

Publications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Department's spend with Reed-Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, Springer and other academic publishers for the period from June 2011 to December 2012 can be found in the following table. The Home Department is unable to provide figures prior to June 2011 as the data are not centrally held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	There are other publications ordered on an ad-hoc basis but this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Spend, June 2011 to December 2012 
			 Publisher £ 
			 Reed-Elsevier 0 
			 Wiley-Blackwell 2,271 
			 Springer 0 
			 Sage 1,807 
			 Oxford 693 
			 Informa Healthcare 1,273 
			 Taylor & Francis 2,681

Sexual Offences

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual assaults occur, where the perpetrator is (a) unknown and (b) known to the victim in each year; and what estimate she has made of the number of unreported sexual offences in cases where the perpetrator is known to the victim.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking for the number of sexual assaults where the perpetrator is (a) unknown and (b) known to the victim; and the number of unreported sexual offences in cases where the perpetrator is known to the victim [154180].
	Domestic abuse is known to be under reported in face-to-face surveys therefore the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) includes a self completion module which asks 16-59 year olds about their experience of Intimate Personal Violence (IPV). The module asks respondents if they have been a victim of sexual assault in the past 12 months, however it does not ask how many times they have been a victim. As a result, the number of victims can be provided but not the number of incidents of sexual assault.
	Figures have been calculated using data collected over three years; 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 in order to provide more robust estimates of the number of victims. Using this method it is estimated that there were 8,879 victims of serious sexual assault aged 16-59 where the perpetrator was unknown to the victims and 88,742 where the perpetrator was known. These figures are based on the number of respondents who said they were a victim in the 12 months prior to interview, averaged across the three survey years.
	The CSEW also asks victims of serious sexual assault whether they reported the incident to the police; however due to the relatively small numbers involved it is not possible to provide a robust estimate of reporting rates broken down by victim offender relationship.

Surveillance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will provide an analysis of all data requests which have been made and approved under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since the implementation of that Act.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 May 2013
	It is the role of the Interception of Communications Commissioner to provide oversight of the systems in place for acquiring communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The analysis of these requests is set out in his annual reports. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Library of the House; however a copy of the latest report, dated 2011, can be found at the following link:
	http://www.intelligencecommissioners.com/docs/0496.pdf
	The 2012 annual report will be released later this year.

Telecommunications

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what (a) organisations and (b) public authorities have provided information in response to her Department's request for business cases for access to communications data; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what local authorities have provided information about their ongoing requirement for communications data in response to her Department's request for business cases for access to communications data; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will place in the Library copies of the information received from all local authorities in response to her Department's request for business cases for access to communications data; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  if she will place in the Library copies of the information received from the (a) Charity Commission, (b) Environment Agency, (c) Food Standards Agency, (d) Gambling Commission, (e) Health and Safety Executive, (f) Office for Communications, (g) Pensions Regulator and (h) Royal Mail in response to her Department's request for business cases for access to communications data; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to ensuring that only those public authorities that can justify their access to communications data retain these powers in the longer term. A number of public authorities that have current access to communications data have submitted their cases for continued access and these remain under consideration.
	The public authorities who have provided further information are listed as follows:
	Ambulance Services
	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	Charity Commission
	Civil Nuclear Constabulary
	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
	Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland)
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Northern Ireland)
	Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)
	Department of Health—Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
	Department for Transport—Accident Investigation Branches and Maritime and Coastguard Agency
	Department for Work and Pensions (including in relation to functions formerly the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission)
	Environment Agency
	Financial Services Authority
	Fire and Rescue Services
	Food Standards Agency
	Gambling Commission
	Gangmasters Licensing Authority
	Health and Safety Executive
	Independent Police Complaints Commission
	Information Commissioner
	Local authorities
	Ministry of Justice (NOMS and Contracted Out Prisons)
	NHS Business Services Authority
	Northern Ireland Office (Prison Service)
	The Office of Communications (Ofcom)
	Office of Fair Trading
	The Pensions Regulator
	Ports Police—Dover and Liverpool
	Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
	Royal Mail
	Serious Fraud Office
	Scottish Environment Protection Agency
	UK Border Agency—including Border Force
	All of these are being considered. As was indicated in the Gracious Speech on 8 May 2013, we will bring forward proposals for the investigation of crime in cyberspace in due course.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the detention of Nafeesa Al Asfoor and Rayhana Al Mosawa in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports that Ms Al Asfoor and Ms Al Mosawa have been charged with activities relating to terrorism following their arrest on 20 April at the Grand Prix circuit. They have both been sentenced to an initial 60 days in prison, after which another hearing will take place to determine their further detainment or release.
	We encourage the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due process is followed as this case continues.

Eritrea

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Eritrean authorities regarding the alleged kidnapping of refugees from East Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: We remain concerned about allegations of kidnapping of Eritrean refugees from Eastern Sudan. In April the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Africa Director raised the issue with a senior representative of the Eritrean Government. In the same month, our ambassador in Asmara met the Eritrean authorities alongside EU partners to press for full cooperation with UN High Commission for Refugees. In November 2012 migration officials visited Asmara to discuss anti-trafficking and victim protection.

Israel

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 637W, on Israel, which of the Israeli companies that participated in the UK Israel Tech Hub mission (a) are based in a settlement in the Opt or the Golan and (b) have provided equipment, services or infra- structure to such a settlement.

Alistair Burt: None of the Israeli companies that participated in the UK Israel Tech Hub mission to the UK in April are based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or the Golan Heights. We have no information on whether these companies have provided any equipment, services or infrastructure to any such settlements.

North Korea

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that the commission of inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in North Korea, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2013, is adequately resourced to conduct an investigation and make recommendations by March 2014.

Hugo Swire: The resolution mandating the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on human rights abuses in North Korea includes a provision requesting the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur and the COI with adequate staffing, mechanisms and the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
	The COI will be funded through the UN regular budget, to which the UK contributes approximately 5%. The British Government will work with partners to ensure the COI is provided with all assistance to carry out its mandate effectively within the prescribed time frame.

North Korea: China

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of China on refugees from North Korea in China and on arrangements for such refugees to be resettled in third countries.

Hugo Swire: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) raised the issue of refoulement and resettlement of refugees from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the most recent UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2012. The issue was also raised in the 2012 FCO Human Rights report, published in April 2013, and at the March 2012 session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

South Sudan

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on casualties amongst UN peacekeeping forces or others during the reported assassination of Kwol Deng, the Paramount Chief of Abyei.

Mark Simmonds: As I made clear in my public statement of 5 May, we are very concerned about the incident in Abyei on 4 May in which Paramount Chief Deng Kuol Deng and a UN peacekeeper were killed in an exchange of fire between an armed group of Misseriya and UN forces. We understand that two UN peacekeepers were also seriously wounded, but reports of other casualties remain unconfirmed. The circumstances which led to the exchange of fire also remain unclear. We are closely monitoring developments, urging restraint from all sides, and calling for a swift and transparent investigation so that those responsible are held to account. We continue to urge Sudan and South Sudan to establish immediately the institutions set out in the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area signed on 20 June 2011, and to make urgent progress towards resolution of Abyei’s final status.

South Sudan

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that there should be a full UN investigation into the reported assassination of Kwol Deng, the Paramount Chief of Abyei, including what is known of the perpetrators and from whom they received orders.

Mark Simmonds: As I made clear in my public statement of 5 May, we are very concerned about the incident in Abyei on 4 May in which Paramount Chief Deng Kuol Deng and a UN peacekeeper were killed in an exchange of fire between an armed group of Misseriya and UN forces. We understand that two UN peacekeepers were also seriously wounded, but reports of other casualties remain unconfirmed. The circumstances which led to the exchange of fire also remain unclear. We are closely monitoring developments, urging restraint from all sides, and calling for a swift and transparent investigation so that those responsible are held to account. We continue to urge Sudan and South Sudan to establish immediately the institutions set out in the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area signed on 20 June 2011 and to make urgent progress towards resolution of Abyei's final status.

South Sudan

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the reported assassination of Kwol Deng, the Paramount Chief of Abyei; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: As I made clear in my public statement of 5 May, we are very concerned about the incident in Abyei on 4 May in which Paramount Chief Deng Kwol Deng and a UN peacekeeper were killed in an exchange of fire between an armed group of Misseriya and UN forces. We understand that two UN peacekeepers were also seriously wounded, but reports of other casualties remain unconfirmed, The circumstances which led to the exchange of fire also remain unclear. We are closely monitoring developments, urging restraint from all sides, and calling for a swift and transparent investigation so that those responsible are held to account. We continue to urge Sudan and South Sudan to establish immediately the institutions set out in the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area signed on 20 June 2011 and to make urgent progress towards resolution of Abyei’s final status.

Sudan

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Sudanese authorities regarding the alleged kidnapping of refugees from East Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that up to 70% of people entering and registering in refugee camps in Eastern Sudan leave shortly afterwards, for a range of reasons. UNHCR's assessment is that a high percentage of those leaving the camp do so voluntarily and travel either within or outside of Sudan in search of employment and livelihood opportunities. Some however do become victims of trafficking.
	The plight of those trafficked is of deep concern. The UK, together with other donors, has provided support to the awareness raising and protection activities of humanitarian agencies through the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF). We are working closely with the lead agencies. UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). and we have raised concerns about trafficking in discussions with the Sudanese Government. The British embassy in Khartoum also convened a meeting in mid-February of interested embassies to discuss the situation in Eastern Sudan, in which the question of trafficking was a central point. We will remain engaged with this important issue.

EDUCATION

Academies

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 16 April 2013, Official Report, column 360W, on academies, if he will publish anonymised details of the complaints concerning the conduct of academy brokers and the outcome of any investigations by his Department.

Edward Timpson: The Department requires the highest standards of conduct from academy brokers, who do a very difficult job in the face of opposition to the Government's programme to turn around failing schools.
	Six formal written complaints have been made to the Department about the conduct of named academy brokers in the 12 months up to 16 April 2013. Five investigations have been concluded and resolved to the Department's satisfaction; the majority were found to be without basis.
	In each case the complainant was given feedback on the investigation and was informed of how they could pursue their complaint further if they were not satisfied with the outcome. In two cases, complaints were partially upheld. One investigation is on-going.

Basic Skills: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the level of literacy and numeracy of (a) primary school leavers and (b) secondary school leavers in Bassetlaw constituency in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is provided in the following tables:
	
		
			 Primary school leavers achievements at the expected level(1) by pupils at the end of key stage 2 in Basset law parliamentary constituency(2): Years 2008-12(3 )Coverage: Bassetlaw constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS2 pupils achieving expected level in: 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012(5) 
			 English 79 78 78 83 86 
			 Maths 80 80 81 82 84 
			 (1) Includes pupils who achieved Level 4 or above. Level 4 is the expected level of achievement for pupils at the end of key stage 2 (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data is final data for all years. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (5) In 2012, English was calculated from reading test results and writing teacher assessment rather than from reading and writing tests as in previous years. English in 2012 is, therefore, not comparable to previous years. Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	
		
			 Secondary school leavers percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs(1) in Basset law constituency(2 )Years: 2007/08 to 2011/12(3 )Coverage: Bassetlaw constituency(4) 
			 Percentage of KS4 pupils achieving an A*-C grade in: 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 English 45.3 45.5 49.3 54.7 67.4 
			 Maths 42.1 44.2 48.0 53.9 65.0 
			 (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (Full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS levels). Figures from 2007/08-2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data is final data for all years. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. Source: National Pupil Database

Children: Local Government Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which local authorities (a) are in intervention and (b) have been issued with improvement notices for children's services.

Edward Timpson: The following table shows the list of local authorities which are subject either to a Direction, improvement notice, or where, following an inadequate Ofsted inspection, we are considering the appropriate form a departmental intervention might take.
	
		
			 Directed using statutory powers Issue date Focus 
			 Doncaster 12 March 2009 Children's services 
			 Birmingham 18 March 2013 Social care (Safeguarding and Adoption) 
			    
			 Improvement Notice   
			 Barnsley 27 November 2012 Social care (Safeguarding and Looked After Children) 
			 Bexley 26 October 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Blackpool 2 November 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Calderdale 8 April 2010 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Cambridgeshire 7 February 2013 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Cumbria 3 August 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Herefordshire 14 February 2013 Child protection/Children's Services 
			 Kent 8 March 2011 Social care (Safeguarding and Adoption) 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15 October 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Peterborough 29 June 2010 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Rochdale 9 April 2013 Child protection/Children's Services 
			 Sandwell 23 March 2010 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Sefton 1 December 2012 Social care (Adoption) 
			 Slough 27 November 2011 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Sutton 27 November 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Torbay 31 January 2011 Social care (Safeguarding and Adoption) 
			 Walsall 2 November 2012 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 West Sussex 15 March 2011 Social care (Safeguarding) 
			 Wiltshire 25 September 2012 Social care (Safeguarding and Adoption) 
			    
			 In process of issuing a Direction   
			 Isle of Wight. Following Ofsted's inadequate judgment of child protection (published 15 January 2013) 
		
	
	
		
			    
			 In process of issuing an Improvement Notice   
			 Medway Following Ofsted's inadequate judgment of child protection (published 15 February 2013) 
			    
			 Decision pending   
			 Northamptonshire Following Ofsted's inadequate judgment of child protection (published 21 December 2012) 
			 Norfolk Following inadequate judgment for Ofsted protection of children (published 22 February 2013) 
			 Cheshire East Following Ofsted's inadequate judgment of child protection (published 23 April 2013)

Dominic Cummings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1170-1W, on Dominic Cummings, 
	(1)  who else attended the meetings held in his Department described as being for discussion on funding pressures on (a) 27 January 2011, (b) 27 January continued, (c) 1 February 2011 and (d) 2 February 2011;
	(2)  what outcomes and decisions arose from the meetings held in his Department described as being for discussion on funding pressures on (a) 27 January 2011, (b) 27 January 2011 continued, (c) 1 February 2011 and (d) 2 February 2011.

Elizabeth Truss: The meetings held at the Department for Education on funding pressures that took place on 27 January 2011, 1 February 2011 and 2 February 2011 were attended by the relevant officials working on funding and strategy within the Department. The Department does not disclose details of decisions made at departmental meetings.

Free School Meals

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to consult on eligibility for free school meals ahead of the introduction of universal credit.

David Laws: We are working very closely with other departments, including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, to simplify free school meals criteria under universal credit, while ensuring that free lunches continue to be available to the families who need them most. These discussions, which include consideration of a phased implementation timetable, are in recognition of the significant number and complexity of passported benefits across Government, most of which have different eligibility criteria.
	We will allow good time to enable schools, local authorities and children's charities to comment on our proposals before we introduce new entitlement criteria for free school meals under universal credit.

Priority School Building Programme

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to announce the first batch of the priority school building programme.

David Laws: The first two batches of schools being delivered under the Priority School Building programme were released to the market in October last year and a further six batches of schools were released to the market earlier this year. Construction work will start on the first school later this month.
	The full announcement regarding the release of batches can be found via:
	http://dfe.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital/priority-school-building-programme/a00224812/priority-school-building-programme-announcement

Skills Funding Agency

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the Skills Funding Agency will produce its property data survey.

Matthew Hancock: I will write to the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan) with the information requested.

Teachers

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to enhance the professionalism of teachers.

David Laws: We have taken steps to ensure that teaching is an attractive career proposition for the brightest and best graduates; we now have the highest ever number of graduates with good degrees applying to train as teachers. With our reforms to Initial Teacher Training they will increasingly do so in a system that is led by schools, with high-quality training designed and delivered by the profession itself.
	We have significantly reduced central prescription and bureaucracy; devolving greater responsibility for decisions to those who are best placed to make them using their professional judgment—teachers and head teachers. We have created opportunities for teachers to take charge of establishing and running schools themselves.
	A profession should determine its own standards; that is why we asked a group of leading teachers and head teachers to develop a new set of Teachers' Standards which define the essentials of good teaching. These clear new standards—created by teachers for teachers—are now used to assess performance and to help teachers plan their professional development.

Teachers: Training

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of proposals for the establishment of a Royal College of Teaching.

David Laws: The establishment of an independent professional body for teachers would represent an important step in helping the teaching profession to realise greater autonomy and self-determination, like the medical profession. We welcome the current debate, which sends a hugely important signal about the aims and aspirations of the teaching profession.
	However, we recognise that, if it is to be successful, an emergent professional body must have its genesis within the profession itself. Any role for Government would depend on how such a body proposed to operate, and how it wished to work with Government. Nevertheless, we are firmly in agreement with the view that an effective professional body for teachers could play a vital role in further raising standards of teaching, championing excellence and enhancing the status of the teaching profession.

Teachers: Training

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage continuing professional development for teachers.

David Laws: Research suggests that the most effective types of professional development are collaborative, sustained, closely linked to teachers' classroom practice and supported by expertise. We are creating a national network of Teaching Schools to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in the training and development of teachers and create more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
	The new Teachers' Standards set a clear benchmark for the level of practice expected of all teachers, and provide a valuable tool to help head teachers and teachers identify and address development needs through regular appraisal.
	While we increasingly expect schools and teachers to take more responsibility for their own professional development, there are some areas where we have provided additional support, such as the National Scholarship Fund, through which we are encouraging more teachers to deepen their subject knowledge and SEN expertise. We have recently announced £2 million funding so that the best computing teachers can help train thousands more teachers.

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has put in place to monitor School Direct trainees' subsequent employment within their training school or group of schools; and whether their employment will be on a permanent or temporary basis.

David Laws: Employment of School Direct trainees will be monitored through the existing six month employment survey that initial teacher training providers are currently required to undertake, and the DFE school workforce survey. These will include whether employment is on a permanent or temporary basis.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Arms Trade: Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Richard Paniguian, Head, UKTI Defence and Security Organisation, discussed the sale of military equipment to Bahrain during his recent visit to that country.

Michael Fallon: In his role as Head of UK Trade Investment Defence and Security Organisation, Richard Paniguian has discussions about equipment requirements with officials from many countries, including Bahrain.

Arms Trade: Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the sale of military equipment to Bahrain.

Michael Fallon: The Export Control Organisation within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills administers the UK's strategic export licensing system, which relates to controls on the export from the UK of specified military and dual-use goods.
	All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors, including the prevailing circumstances in the recipient country and the stated end-use. A licence would not be issued if it was inconsistent with any of the Criteria.

Central Sussex College

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will arrange an urgent review of the financial situation of the Central Sussex College.

Matthew Hancock: Steps have already been taken to review urgently the financial situation of the College. The Chief Executive Skills Funding Agency has met the Principal and further investigations and discussions are taking place, involving the College's Audit and management teams and officials in the Agency.

Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 261W, on climate change, what statistical models were used in any analyses done to calculate significances.

David Willetts: The analyses used the statistical model developed by Brohan et al and published in the following peer-reviewed paper: Brohan, P., J. J. Kennedy, I. Harris, S. F. B. Tett, and P. D. Jones (2006), Uncertainty estimates in regional and global observed temperature changes: A new data set from 1850, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D12106, doi:10.1029/2005JD006548.

Copyright

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it illegal to strip copyright metadata and other information which identifies the copyright holder of a piece of work.

Jo Swinson: Section 296ZG of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) already provides protection against the deliberate removal or alteration of electronic rights management information such as metadata from copyrighted works, where there is knowledge or reason to believe that by doing so the person is inducing, enabling, facilitating or concealing an infringement of copyright.

Energy: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the current value of the energy sector to the economy of Bassetlaw constituency; and what estimate he has made of the value of the energy sector to the economy of Bassetlaw constituency in (a) 2018 and (b) 2023.

Michael Fallon: Estimates of the financial contributions of sectors are not available at the constituency level nor are forecasts made of such data.
	Data from the Business Registers Employment Survey (BRES) indicate that the energy sector (defined here, in accordance with Section D of the Standard Industrial Classification Codes as the supply of electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning) supported around 700 jobs in the Bassetlaw constituency in 2011.

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible has allocated to the London borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years.

Jo Swinson: Core BIS has made payments to the London borough of Enfield local authority as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
			 2008/09 157 
			 2009/10 19,993 
			 2010/11 172,744 
			 2011/12 122,331 
			 2012/13 99,182 
			 2013/14 (up to 10 May 2013) 0

Insolvency Service

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many L1 examiners at each location are employed by the Insolvency Service; and how many such examiners (a) were employed at each location before implementation of restructuring under the Delivery Strategy and (b) will be employed at each location after that restructuring is complete.

Jo Swinson: On 1 April 2012 and 1 May 2013 respectively there were 195 and 129 L1 examiners employed by The Insolvency Service at the following locations:
	
		
			  1 April 2012 1 May 2013 
			 Birmingham 19 10 
			 Blackpool 10 7 
			 Bournemouth 4 4 
			 Brighton 5 2 
			 Bristol 4 3 
			 Cambridge 5 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Cardiff 5 5 
			 Chatham 1 1 
			 Chester 7 5 
			 Croydon 5 5 
			 Exeter 5 3 
			 Gloucester 4 2 
			 Hull 9 6 
			 Ipswich 4 3 
			 Leeds 12 9 
			 Leicester 7 5 
			 Liverpool 4 3 
			 London 12 8 
			 Manchester 6 4 
			 Newcastle 3 1 
			 Northampton 4 2 
			 Norwich 10 5 
			 Nottingham 10 5 
			 Plymouth 2 1 
			 Sheffield 4 1 
			 Reading 3 3 
			 Southampton 3 3 
			 Southend 4 3 
			 St Albans 4 3 
			 Stockton 4 3 
			 Stoke 4 3 
			 Swansea 6 3 
			 Whitstable 6 3 
			  195 129 
		
	
	In December 2012 some 52 L1 examiners were declared surplus. A number chose to voluntarily leave The Insolvency Service under an exit scheme or have found other employment. The Insolvency Service is currently assisting those remaining in seeking alternative employment.
	The reduction in L1 examiners is as a result of overcapacity, caused by falling debtor petition bankruptcy numbers, and not due to any delivery strategy.
	The number of L1 examiners needed in the future will be kept under review in light of fluctuations in case input numbers and any efficiency gains resulting from future process reviews.

Minimum Wage

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to implement the Low Pay Commission's recommendation in its 2013 report to publish on gov.uk effective, clear and accessible guidance on all aspects of the minimum wage;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 25 February 2012, Official Report, column 291W, on entertainers, if he will implement the Low Pay Commission's recommendation to provide sector-specific guidance on the national minimum wage for the entertainment sector.

Jo Swinson: We are taking a number of steps to publish clear guidance regarding national minimum wage legislation and to make it more accessible.
	The first step was to transfer key messages from Directgov and Business Link to Gov.uk.
	The next step is to publish detailed guidance and examples of specific areas of national minimum wage legislation. The most recent guidance to be published is the Worker Checklist, which helps both employers and individuals to understand the characteristics of a worker and therefore, the situations where the national minimum wage should be paid:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-worker-checklist
	We will continue to work with the Government Digital Service to publish further detailed guidance, including entertainment sector specific case studies. These will appear on Gov.uk in due course.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department issues on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment to an official in his Department; what the process is for clawing back such bonuses; and on how many occasions this has happened in each of the last five years.

Jo Swinson: An element of the BIS overall pay award for staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) is allocated to non-consolidated, non-pensionable pay related to performance. There are two types of award:
	1. In-year awards that recognise strong performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations.
	2. Annual performance awards, that reward staff based on their annual performance rating. These are non-consolidated, non-pensionable pay awards, used to drive high performance and have to be earned each year against pre-determined targets and do not add to future pay bills. The payments made for both types of award are entirely related to staff performance.
	Performance awards for the SCS are part of the pay system across the whole Senior Civil Service, and are used to reward high performance sustained throughout the year, based on judgments and about how well an individual has performed relative to their peers.
	The performance related pay scheme is designed to help drive high performance and support better public service delivery. Performance awards are non-consolidated and non-pensionable and do not add to future paybill costs.
	There are no contractual entitlements to any Performance Awards in BIS. All of the awards are paid after the work that they recognise has been completed. Therefore the Department does not issue any guidance on what actions would result in the suspension or removal of an award, and there are no processes for clawing awards back.

Prisons: Education

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what educational courses are offered to prisoners; and what the running cost is for each such course.

Matthew Hancock: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel), on 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 84W.
	These offenders were funded via the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) budget.
	There is no set running cost for courses. Funding for the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service phase 4 follows similar principles, rules and evidence requirements to those for the Skills Funding Agency's main adult learning budget. Each learning aim has a published rate per learner, with 20% of funding generated when the learner achieves the learning aim, and the remaining funding split into monthly payments based on the number of months between the learning start date and the planned end date.

Public Houses

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to better regulate public houses and breweries.

Jo Swinson: The Government seek to support a healthy, thriving and diverse pubs sector. We have launched a consultation on establishing a statutory Code of Practice and an independent Adjudicator to enforce the Code, to govern the relationship between pub companies and their tenants. We welcome evidence about the impact such proposals would have on the pubs industry.
	The consultation and associated short online questionnaire closes on 14 June 2013, and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pub-companies-and-tenants-consultation
	This consultation forms part of the Government's wider work to support the pubs sector, including abolishing the beer duty escalator and cutting beer duty this year.

Public Sector: Procurement

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in the Scottish Government regarding public procurement.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has had no recent discussions with the Scottish Government about public procurement.

Public Sector: Procurement

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 719W, on public sector: procurement, what discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding the proposed changes.

Jo Swinson: Cabinet Office is the lead Department for policy matters relating to Government efficiency, transparency and accountability. This includes leading on this Government's active involvement in negotiations with the European Commission on the EU procurement rules in their entirety.

Public Sector: Procurement

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 719W, on public sector: procurement, when he expects his Department to generate a policy on the proposed changes.

Jo Swinson: The timing of the delivery of any departmental policy in relation to the new EU procurement rules is dependent not only on the finalisation of the revised directives, but also the approach taken to and timing of the transposition of the revised directives into UK law.
	The new EU procurement rules are still in negotiation.
	Cabinet Office is the lead department for policy matters relating to Government efficiency, transparency and accountability. This includes leading on this Government's active involvement in negotiations with the European Commission on the EU procurement rules in their entirety.
	Cabinet Office will also lead on UK transposition. The transposition period and activities will include the generation of cross-government and departmental policies on this and other changes in readiness for the as yet to be determined UK implementation date.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Jo Swinson: The Department ensures that Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Notes (PPN) are circulated to the Department's Partner Organisations and to UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) who provide Strategic Procurement services to the Department.
	A PPN on the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 was issued by Cabinet Office in December 2012 ahead of the 31 January implementation date.
	Through UK SBS, the Department is aligned with the Act's requirements with consideration being given in the pre-procurement phase to economic, environmental and social benefits and the resultant procurement approach being designed accordingly.

Publications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years.

Jo Swinson: The Department has not made any payments to (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, or (c) Springer during each of the last five years. In addition, the Department does not hold a central record of spend on subscriptions to academic journals.

Risk Management

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made towards the launch of the critical resources dashboard;
	(2)  when the critical resources dashboard will be launched.

Michael Fallon: The development of a pilot critical resources dashboard is being led by the Environment Sustainability Knowledge Transfer Network (ESKTN). A prototype site is available at:
	www.resourcedashboard.co.uk
	The ESKTN has been working to develop the site and gather further data, working with other partners including the British Geological survey and the Waste and Resources Action programme. The ESKTN expect to make further announcements about the launch of the dashboard by the summer.

Sussex University

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funds from his Department have been received by the University of Sussex in each of the last five years; and to what use such funds have been put.

David Willetts: Section 65(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 makes the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) responsible for administering the funds made available by the Secretary of State to HE institutions. The following table shows the funding which HEFCE has allocated to the university of Sussex for the period requested. The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 requires that these funds be used for the purposes of teaching, research and associated activities.
	
		
			 Academic year Funding (£ million) 
			 2008/09 56.6 
			 2009/10 60.0 
			 2010/11 56.3 
			 2011/12 48.8 
			 2012/13 41.2

Sussex University

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will review the regulatory and accountability regime of the University of Sussex;
	(2)  if he will conduct a financial and academic audit of the University of Sussex.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for administering the funds made available by the Secretary of State to HE institutions. HEFCE agrees a Financial Memorandum with all the institutions it funds which sets out the regulatory and accountability framework. Under this framework, HEFCE monitor financial and accountability information from institutions on an annual basis and carry out assurance visits to institutions on a five-yearly cyclical basis. HEFCE last carried out an assurance visit to the university of Sussex in October 2008. HEFCE also acts as principal regulator of HE institutions which, like Sussex, are exempt charities under the Charities Act 2011.

UK Trade and Investment

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will consider privatising UK Trade and Investment;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about privatising UK Trade and Investment.

Michael Fallon: The Government have no current plans to consider the privatisation of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
	Where there is alignment with its longer term strategy needs, UKTI is taking the opportunity to bring in private sector personnel expertise. It is also outsourcing the delivery of certain services to the private sector by the use of incentivised contracts.
	This is done in those areas where UKTI lacks existing strength and where it is considered that private sector expertise is more beneficial to UKTI's customers.
	There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), about privatising UK Trade and Investment.

Urenco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the revenue to be accrued to the Government through the sale of its shares in Urenco.

Michael Fallon: The Government do not estimate expected proceeds from individual asset sales. To do so would prejudice the Government's commercial position in ongoing and future sale processes. In assessing any potential sale a priority for the Government, alongside ensuring the protection of our security and non-proliferation interests, will be to achieve value for money for the British taxpayer.

Urenco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the sale of the Government's shares in Urenco to be completed.

Michael Fallon: The timing of any proposed sale has not yet been determined and will be conditional on a number of factors, including further discussions with our Urenco partners. Further announcements will be made in due course.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Pay

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he will next meet representatives of the PCS Union to discuss pay and conditions for civil servants.

Francis Maude: I meet regularly with representatives of trade unions to discuss a range of issues.
	As part of my Department's transparency programme, details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on the Cabinet Office website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/series/ministers-transparency-publications

Distributive Trade

Robin Walker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the (a) retail sector, (b) e-commerce and online retail sector and (c) wholesale and distribution sector on (i) 1 March 2010 and (ii) 1 March 2013.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of people employed in the (a) retail sector, (b) e-commerce and online retail sector and (c) wholesale and distribution sector on (i) 1 March 2010 and (ii) 1 March 2013
	In answering queries relating to employment by industry, ONS provide Workforce Jobs (WFJ) estimates. This is the preferred measure of jobs by industry, and is the sum of employee jobs (EJ), self-employment jobs (SEJ), government-supported trainees (GST) and Her Majesty's Forces (HMF).
	To compare monthly data, seasonally adjusted data is most suitable; however WFJ is only available on a seasonally adjusted basis at industry Section level. The WFJ estimates for March 2012 and December 2012 for Section G; ‘Wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ are as follows:
	
		
			  Number (thousand) 
			 March 2010 4,794 
			 December 2012 4,881 
		
	
	Estimates for March 2013 are yet to be published.
	ONS does produce a more detailed industry breakdown for seasonally adjusted data, but just for employee jobs (EJ); as shown in the table below. Employee Jobs account for approximately 92% of Workforce Jobs in Section G.
	
		
			 Employee jobs 
			 Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			  Wholesale, retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 
			 March 2010 473 1,081 2,862 
			 December 2012 468 1,115 2,922 
		
	
	Jobs estimates for e-commerce and online retail are not produced by ONS.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has no current expenditure with G4S.
	As part of my Department's transparency programme, it has been Cabinet Office policy since January 2011 to publish details of all contracts with a value of £10,000 or more on Contracts Finder:
	www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	In addition, Cabinet Office expenditure over £25,000, is published at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data

Inflation

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will ask the Office for National Statistics to provide a list of all known official uses of (a) the retail price index measure of inflation, (b) the consumer price index measure of inflation and (c) any alternative measure of inflation.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning the known official uses of the retail prices index (RPI), consumer prices index (CPI) and any alternative measure of inflation. (155048)
	The uses have been described in an article ‘How ONS consumer price statistics are used’:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/cpi/consumer-price-indices/july-2011/how-ons-consumer-price-statistics-are-used.pdf
	The article adds more detail to the following summary.
	Both CPI and RPI are used as macroeconomic indicators of inflation particularly by Her Majesty's Treasury to inform decisions on economic policy and to monitor the effectiveness of policy. A range of government departments also use both measures to monitor how prices for specific goods and services compare with general levels of inflation and to remove the effect of price changes when forming policy.
	The RPI is used to uprate the redemption values of index-linked gilt-edged securities and national savings certificates.
	The CPI is used:
	as the basis of the government's inflation target.
	to deflate ONS retail sales estimates and relevant components of the national accounts, such as household final consumption expenditure, to constant prices so that the effects of price change are removed from the series.
	in the uprating of state pensions (alongside the average weekly earnings index), public service pensions and most state benefits.
	Two new official measures of inflation - CPIH and RPIJ - were introduced in March. CPIH is a new measure of consumer price inflation that includes owner occupiers' housing costs. These are the costs associated with owning, maintaining and living in one's own home. RPIJ is an improved variant of the Retail Prices Index which is calculated using formulae that meet international standards. ONS currently classifies these new series as experimental statistics and they are being assessed by the assessment team of the UK Statistics Authority to determine whether they should be awarded National Statistics status. Since they have only recently been introduced, there are unlikely to be many official uses as yet.
	There is, additionally, a family of indices behind the headline measures that is used for a variety of official purposes. For example, CPIY is the CPI excluding price changes which are directly due to changes in indirect taxation. This is used, for example by HM Treasury, to assess inflation at times when the headline CPI is directly influenced by Government-driven changes to taxes and duty.
	The CPI is also the UK's official measure of inflation provided for the purposes of the European Union. In that context it is referred to as the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP). HICPs provide the official measure of consumer price inflation in the euro-zone for the purposes of monetary policy in the euro area and assessing inflation convergence as required under the Maastricht criteria.
	These are the official uses known to ONS.

Internet: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of households in Barrow and Furness constituency which do not have access to the internet.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the number of households in the Barrow and Furness constituency which do not have access to the Internet. (155089)
	Estimates of household internet access are published on an annual basis by the Office for National Statistics and are also available on our website. These estimates are derived from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. It is not possible from this survey, due to its small sample size, to produce accurate estimates of household internet access at a lower level of geography than region.
	The latest available estimate (in respect of 2012) of the number of households in the North West without access to the internet is 0.7 million.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Vetting

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many current Government special advisers have been subject to (a) all forms of personnel security control, (b) a counter terrorism check, (c) a security check and (d) developed vetting;
	(2)  how many times the Security Vetting Appeals Panel has met since May 2010;
	(3)  how many special advisers have used the appeals process to challenge an adverse vetting decision since May 2010.

Francis Maude: As was the practice under the previous Administration, each Government Department is responsible for determining its personnel security controls and any related vetting requirements, in line with the HMG Security Policy Framework. Information on the framework is available via:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed. Information about individual security clearances is not held centrally.

Population

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many residents of each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales were born in Northern Ireland.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many residents of each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales were born in Northern Ireland. (154296)
	A file containing an extract from 2011 Census Table KS204EW, which provides the information you requested for Westminster Parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales, will be stored in the Library of the House.

Population

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of the residents of each constituency in England and Wales were born in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the residents of each constituency in England and Wales were born in (i) England and (ii) Wales. 154796.
	A file containing an extract from 2011 Census Table KS204EW which provides the information you have requested for Westminster Parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales, will be stored in the Library of the House.

Public Administration Select Committee Reports

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  when the Government intends to publish its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's sixth report of Session 2012-13 on the report, Special advisers in the thick of it;
	(2)  when the Government intends to publish its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's third report of session 2012-13 on Business appointment rules.

Francis Maude: The Government welcomes the Committee's reports on these two important issues and will respond as soon as possible.

Public Sector: Civil Proceedings

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the answers of 5 March 2013, Official Report, columns 973-74W, on written questions: Government responses, and 10 September 2012, Official Report, column 120W, on public sector: civil proceedings, when he expects to provide a full update.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office does not currently receive or hold information on the number of legal claims between public sector organisations, or their costs.
	My officials have looked into this matter and I am satisfied that there are sufficient measures in place to ensure that public sector organisations with legally separate identities make the greatest possible use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms. My officials do not believe that further investigation will yield greater savings in this area.
	There are three core measures that require or encourage public sector organisations to use mediation or arbitration, where possible, before resorting to court proceedings:
	The Dispute Resolution Commitment (DRC) 2011 updates and replaces the Alternative Dispute Resolution Pledge 2001 and covers all Government Departments and agencies.
	The Local Authority DRC, soon to be launched, will promote the proportionate management and early resolution of local government disputes.
	The Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review expects parties to consider ADR procedures. It is supported by current Government proposals to reform Judicial Review and develop a simpler, quicker and more proportionate justice system.
	Collectively, the work undertaken by the Government to ensure greater public sector use of ADR methods has saved taxpayers an estimated £360 million over the last decade.

Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what comparative assessment he has made of differences in unemployment levels between (a) white, (b) mixed race, (c) Indian, (d) Pakistani, (e) Bangladeshi, (f) Chinese and (g) black ethnic groups.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what comparative assessment has been made of the differences in unemployment levels between (a) white, (b) mixed race, (c) Indian, (d) Pakistani, (e) Bangladeshi, (f) Chinese and (g) black ethnic groups. 154617
	The tables provided show the latest available estimates regarding the information requested. Estimates of unemployment by ethnic group are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the quality of the estimates provided are given in the tables.
	Estimates of unemployment by ethnic group are published quarterly in a supplementary table to the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin (Table A09), last published in February 2013 via the following link:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/february-2013/table-a09.xls
	The estimates provided in this answer contain some small revisions that were not available for the table published in February 2013.
	
		
			 Unemployment of people aged 16 and over by ethnic group, each quarter, 2012, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Total(1) White(2) Mixed Indian Pakistani 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) 
			 Q1 2,594 8.2 2,144 7.5 43 14.5 77 9.8 71 18.0 
			 Q2 2,519 7.9 2,075 7.3 50 17.3 74 9.0 69 16.6 
		
	
	
		
			 Q3 2,601 8.1 2,134 7.4 40 13.1 82 9.9 66 15.1 
			 Q4 2,471 *7.7 1,997 *6.9 48 ***15.5 67 ***8.3 78 ***18.4 
			            
			 Annual Average 2,546 7.9 2,088 7.3 45 15.1 75 9.2 71 17.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Bangladeshi Chinese Black/African/Caribbean Other(3) 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(4) (%) 
			 Q1 19 12.9 13 10.2 141 18.4 85 11.1 
			 Q2 18 13.5 18 13.3 123 15.5 91 11.6 
			 Q3 30 18.8 15 10.9 134 16.0 100 12.2 
			 Q4 33 ****20.0 14 ****9.3 135 ***15.8 99 ***12.2 
			          
			 Annual Average 25 16.3 15 10.9 134 16.4 94 11.8 
			 (1) Total includes people who have not stated their ethnic group. (2) 'White' also includes respondents in England, Wales and Scotland identifying themselves as 'White-Gypsy or Irish Traveller' and respondents in Scotland identifying themselves as 'White-Polish'. (3) Includes respondents in Northern Ireland identifying themselves as 'Irish Traveller'; respondents in all UK countries identifying themselves as 'Arab' and any other ethnic group not elsewhere classified. (4) Unemployment level as a percentage of the economically active population. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Labour Force Survey

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Homelessness

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households are currently homeless in each region.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 13 May 2013
	As outlined in the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2012, Official Report, columns 32-33WS, my Department no longer publishes statistics by Government office region.
	The latest available local authority figures for the numbers of households accepted as homeless under homelessness legislation and numbers of households in temporary accommodation, from which regional estimates can be calculated, can be found in Live Table 784a at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
	We have invested £470 million over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) through local authorities and voluntary organisations to help prevent homelessness.
	Homelessness is around half the average rate it was under the last Administration, and remains lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.

Homelessness: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in Bassetlaw constituency were homeless in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Prisk: The following table shows both the (i) number of homelessness acceptances of households and (ii) the number of households in temporary accommodation for the local authority Bassetlaw for the most recent period for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Number of households accepted(1) as owed a main homelessness duty during the quarter October to December 2012 Number of households in temporary accommodation(2), as at 31 December 2012 
			 Bassetlaw 19 3 
			 (1) Households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty. (2) Households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, those pending inquiries or review, and those who were found to be intentionally homeless but are being accommodated for a reasonable period by the LA. Source: DCLG P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly) 
		
	
	The Bassetlaw constituency falls wholly within the area of Bassetlaw district council, which also includes part of the Newark constituency. Figures are given for Bassetlaw district council, the lowest geographical level for which the Department collects them.
	We have invested £470 million over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) through local authorities and voluntary organisations to help prevent homelessness.
	Across England, homelessness is around half the average rate it was under the last Administration, and remains lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.

Housing

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households are currently (a) in private rented housing, (b) in social rented housing and (c) homeless.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The latest data from the English Housing Survey indicates that in 2011-12 there were 3.8 million (3,843,000) households in private rented housing and also 3.8 million (3,808,000) households in social rented housing.
	According to the latest data collected from local authorities, there were 53,130 homeless households in temporary accommodation (statutory homelessness) as at 31 December 2012, and 2,309 rough sleepers in autumn 2012.
	Homelessness is around half the average level it was under the last Administration. Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years.

Housing: Disability

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in each local authority have been adapted or constructed for accessibility to individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Communities and Local Government funds the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home. In 2011-12 the grant provided adaptations for around 40,000 households, but data on adaptations provided specifically to individuals with spinal cord injuries are not collected.
	The Department secured £725 million for the grant in the 2010 spending review for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15 and over the last two years the Government has invested a further £60 million in the Disabled Facilities Grant, bringing the total grant in 2011-12 to £200 million and in 2012-13 to £220 million.

Housing: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total amount of capital spend was on housing in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011 and (e) 2012; and what he expects it to be in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Total capital expenditure on housing by local authorities in England in the years from 2008-09 to 2012-13 was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2008-09 4,901 
			 2009-10 4,514 
			 2010-11 4,063 
			 2011-12 3,274 
			 2012-13 (forecast) 4,685 
		
	
	These data are as reported by all local authorities in England on the annual Capital Outturn Return and Capital Estimates Return. Forecast estimates for 2013-14 onwards are not yet available.
	However, to place this answer in context, I note that the last Administration's spending plan would have involved cuts to the overall DCLG budget. DCLG and local government were not protected budgets under the last Administration's plans (HM Treasury, Pre-Budget Report 2009, p.8) and the last Administration was planning spending cuts of £52 billion by 2014-15, with £14 billion of cuts falling in 2011-12 (HM Treasury, Spending Review 2010, October 2010, p.78).
	I also observe that the last Prime Minister remarked in April 2010 that:
	“housing is essentially a private sector activity … I don't see a need for us to continue with such a big renovation programme.”
	(BBC Newsnight, 30 April 2010).
	By contrast, the coalition Government's Affordable Homes Programme is levering in £19.5 billion of public and private investment from 2011 to 2015, thanks to innovations like Affordable Rent.

Social Rented Housing: Business

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to remove the barriers to social tenants running a business from home.

Mark Prisk: The Government are committed to removing the barriers that prevent social tenants running businesses from their homes. To this end, in November 2010 I wrote, together with my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), to social landlords urging them to ensure that tenants are provided with encouragement, help and advice on how to work from home. A copy of this has been placed in the Library of the House.
	At our encouragement, the Chartered Institute of Housing produced a guide for social landlords on the matter, including advice on how to develop an organisational policy, how to promote to tenants the potential opportunities that exist to run a business from home and how to support them with the information they need. The guide can be found at:
	http://www.cih.org/publication-free/display/vpathDCR//templatedata/cih/publication-free/data/Running_a_business_from_home

Travellers: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency has spent on provision of services and facilities for Travellers in each of the last three years; and how much the Homes and Communities Agency intends to spend on such provision in each of the next three years.

Don Foster: The Homes and Communities Agency has provided funding to local authorities and other registered providers to support the construction and refurbishment of authorised Traveller pitches. The funding provided in each of the last three years (2010-11 to 2012-13) and the funding forecast for 2013-14 and 2014-15 is set out in the following table. Government spending in 2015-16 is subject to the current spending review.
	
		
			 Programme Year Funding (£) 
			 Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant 2010-11 15,187,000 
			    
			 Traveller Pitch Funding 2011-12 2,839,050 
			  2012-13 1,482,073 
			  2013-14 19,800,000 
			  2014-15 34,300,000

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Pay

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of new and enhanced contracts awarded to agricultural workers in the last 12 months.

David Heath: DEFRA does not collect data on the number of contracts awarded to agricultural workers.
	However, for the purposes of the impact assessment on abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board, DEFRA assumed that 5% of the permanent agricultural labour force were issued new contracts each year, and all temporary workers. Temporary workers represent around one third of the agricultural workforce.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that payments to farmers under the single farm payment scheme are made on time.

David Heath: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) published a five-year plan in February 2012, designed to build stability and improve performance during the remaining part of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). The RPA business plan for 2012-13 was published in June 2012, setting new, more stretching performance indicators for every area of operations including, for example, speed and accuracy of payments, levels of customer satisfaction and financial controls.
	The RPA achieved its end of March SPS payment target more than five weeks ahead of schedule, exceeding both of its domestic performance targets this year, and achieving the benchmark set by the EU (to pay more than 95.238% of the scheme fund value by the end of June) a full four months early. Farmer satisfaction levels are the highest ever recorded and the RPA has just delivered the most successful payment record in the agency's history, getting vital funds out to farmers sooner than ever before.

Ash Dieback Disease

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is funding into an antidote for ash dieback disease.

David Heath: The process to evaluate the possible usefulness against Chalara of various chemical treatments submitted by a number of producers is covered in the Chalara Management Plan, published on 26 March. Based on scientific advice and other European countries' experience of Chalara we are advised against expecting to find a treatment that can be widely applied to protect woodland or treat an infected wood or forest. However, in some circumstances treatments may have a role in protecting individual trees or groups of trees, or reducing production of spores, level of damage and rate of spread.
	Out of a total of more than 80 products that were suggested to DEFRA and the Forestry Commission as possible treatments for ash dieback, 14 will be tested in the laboratory at the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera). Some of these products along with two others, potassium phosphite and urea, will be tested in field studies using potted ash trees. The purpose of these studies is to investigate how effective the products are at preventing infestation by this disease.
	The shortlist of products includes examples of the fungicide groups that are considered most likely to be effective and, where possible, products with a single active ingredient have been preferred to mixtures for the purpose of the laboratory screen.
	Further details of the actual products and how they were selected are available on the Fera website:
	http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/pestsDiseases/chalaraInfo.cfm

Floods: Insurance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 73W, on floods: insurance, if he will make it his policy to require providers of flood insurance to take account of flood prevention measures put in place by local authorities when calculating premiums and the terms on which continuing cover will be offered.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA, with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and others, has established a common methodology for reporting the impact of property-level protection measures in reducing potential flood damages. A template and guidance has been published which will help insurers incorporate that information into their risk assessment and pricing decisions. This information is available on the Environment Agency's website.
	Constructive discussions continue between Government and the ABI and others about the future of flood insurance. Issues such as affordability and pricing are part of these discussions. However it would not be appropriate to provide details of discussions while they are ongoing. I will endeavour to provide a public update at the earliest appropriate opportunity.

Floods: Insurance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 73W, on floods: insurance, what steps he is taking to ensure that insurance premiums and terms of cover take account of all relevant flood mitigation measures not just recently-installed, property-level measures.

Richard Benyon: Insurance companies each take different approaches to assessing flood risk and on how they incorporate information about flood mitigation into their risk assessment and pricing decisions.
	Constructive discussions continue between the Government and the Association of British Insurers and others about the future of flood insurance. Issues such as affordability and pricing are part of these discussions. However it would not be appropriate to provide details of discussions while they are ongoing. I will endeavour to provide a public update at the earliest appropriate opportunity.

Floods: Insurance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will undertake (a) an audit of the flood prevention measures implemented by local authorities in each of the last five years and (b) an analysis of the relationship between such expenditure and the cover offered and premiums charged to householders occupying premises at historic risk of flooding.

Richard Benyon: Flood risk management in England is managed by a range of bodies, including the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards, as set out under the terms of the 2010 Flood and Water Management Act.
	The Environment Agency holds information on the flood prevention measures implemented by all risk management organisations involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management.
	However, it would be difficult to determine the relationship between such expenditure and pricing decisions by insurers because:
	the level of insurance premiums and excesses are affected by a range of factors making it difficult to separate out the part that reflects flood risk. For example, a policy will take account of other risks such as fire and subsidence and will also take into account the size of the property; and
	it is very difficult to collect specific information of this type on a national scale. Both the insurance companies and the public regard personal financial matters as confidential.
	Taxpayers' money is best spent on reducing flood risk in the first place.

Flour: Additives

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he plans to announce the Government's decision on the outcome of its consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of benefits to (a) the milling industry and (b) other businesses of the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998;
	(3)  whether the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 will be affected by the Government's Red Tape Challenge.

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on public health if fortification of bread and flour with key nutrients were no longer mandatory;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on low income groups if fortification of bread and flour with key nutrients is no longer mandatory;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of whether to revoke the Bread and Flour Regulations as part of the Government's Red Tape Challenge;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's report on the nutritional implications of repealing the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998;
	(5)  when the Government plan to announce their decision on the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 consultation;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the milling industry and costs to other businesses of revocation of the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998;
	(7)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on business certainty if the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 are to be revoked in England but remain in place elsewhere in the UK;
	(8)  what assessment he has made of the regulatory burden on business if the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 are to be revoked.

David Heath: DEFRA is currently coordinating a review of the national rules relating to bread and flour as they apply to England. It has held a public consultation seeking views on possible deregulatory options which closed on 13 March 2013. We are currently analysing the 47 responses received in conjunction with the Department of Health. The Government are committed to ensuring that any policy decision on the removal of mandatory fortification will take into account an assessment of the health impacts, the impact on industry, the implications for other parts of the United Kingdom, and the interests of consumers. The Government intend to announce their decision before the summer recess.

Forest Enterprise England

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed by Forest Enterprise England in Cumbria; and what proportion of such staff are paid (a) at and (b) above the relevant level of the living wage.

David Heath: Forest Enterprise England currently employs 39 people in full and part-time positions who are based at locations in Cumbria. They are all paid above the Living Wage Foundation's living wage of £7.45 per hour.

Horsemeat

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to audits carried out in Canada and Mexico by the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office between 2010 and 2013, which found evidence of shortcomings in North American systems for preventing horsemeat contaminated with banned substances entering the food chain, whether he plans to take steps to reduce import of horsemeat from North America.

David Heath: Products of animal origin (POAO), including meat, which are imported from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the European Union (EU). POAO imported from third countries must:
	come from an approved country;
	come from a country with an approved residue plan;
	come from an approved establishment/plant;
	be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification;
	enter the EU through a Border Inspection Post (BIP) where checks are carried out to ensure that import conditions have been met.
	The European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) is responsible for carrying out inspections in the third countries from which POAO is imported. Particular account is taken of:
	an exporting country's disease status and the health status of livestock and other domestic animals;
	its rules on prevention and control of diseases, including its rules on its imports from other countries;
	the use of veterinary medicinal products, including rules on their prohibition or authorisation; and
	the organisation of the competent veterinary authorities and inspection services.
	Horsemeat imported from Mexico has been subject to EU wide safeguard measures since 2006. Every consignment entering the EU has to be tested for residues of veterinary substances at the BIP. Following the most recent FVO audits in Mexico, the Commission services asked the Mexican authorities to submit an action plan in response to the recommendations made in the audit report. An action plan has now been provided and is being considered by the Commission and the FVO.
	Consignments of horsemeat from Canada are also inspected and sampled at the EU border. There was a positive case in a consignment from Canada in July 2012 indicating the presence of Clembuterol and Phenylbutazone. Following this unfavourable result consignments of horsemeat from Canada have been subjected to reinforced checks. No further positive results have since been found.
	Should there be an outbreak of disease or other circumstances likely to present a risk to human or animal health, EU legislation allows member states to take appropriate safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of POAO from all or parts of that country. Any such action would need to be endorsed by the European Commission and it is likely that a common EU position would be quickly adopted.
	There is no record of any horsemeat being imported into the UK from any third countries during 2012 and January to April 2013.
	There are no plans to introduce a unilateral ban on imports of horsemeat from Canada and Mexico. DEFRA will continue to work with the Food Standards Agency to monitor the situation and will act if it is in the public interest to do so.

Horsemeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the written ministerial statement of 15 April 2013, Official Report, columns 13-15WS, on horsemeat fraud, when he expects to announce the timing and details of the strategic review of the horsemeat fraud incident and its implications for the food chain and regulatory framework.

David Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will announce the timing and details of the strategic review of the horsemeat fraud incident shortly.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of the recall and changes made to equipment sent to Afghanistan under the auspices of Purple Gate; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 May 2013
	Specific cost data for equipment uniquely used in Afghanistan, transported to the UK, upgraded and returned back to Afghanistan are not held.

Armed Forces: Malaria

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what scientific evidence his Department relies in prescribing mefloquine hydrochloride as first-line malaria chemoprophylaxis for troops deploying to or exercising in sub-Saharan Africa;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the United States reserving mefloquine for third or fourth-line chemoprophylaxis only; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) malaria prevention policy is closely aligned to United Kingdom national advice, is kept under continual review and includes the consideration of all various drugs used for chemoprophylaxis.
	Mefloquine is a licensed and extremely effective drug at preventing malaria; it is used by the military in many (but not all) parts of the world where British troops deploy. There is currently no evidence that United Kingdom service personnel are at a particular increased risk from adverse drug events related to mefloquine use for chemoprophylaxis. If compelling evidence is produced from the body of global scientific evidence regarding the use of mefloquine then it is likely that the UK licence would be reviewed and advice from the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention (ACMP) would change.
	The UK ACMP, whose membership comprises national experts on the subject (including the MOD's Defence Consultant Adviser in Communicable Diseases), advises on the key elements with respect to choice of drugs for anti-malaria chemoprophylaxis. The ACMP, which was established by the Health Protection Agency, now known as Public Health England, is the authoritative source of guidance in the United Kingdom.
	The Ministry of Defence does not hold information regarding United States policy on this matter.

Armed Forces: Railways

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the annual cost to the public purse is of the HM Forces Railcard;
	(2)  how many individuals have received an HM Forces Railcard to date.

Mark Francois: The HM Forces Railcard scheme is essentially self-funding with no direct cost to the public purse. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is reimbursed quarterly for railcards received by the Ministry of Defence and the cost is then recovered from individuals when the railcards are sold. Care is taken to avoid excessive stocks being held.
	The railcard is available to both serving personnel and their spouses. It is valid for 12 months. Although information on the volume of sales is held centrally, and is provided in the following table, it does not distinguish between renewals and first purchases. It is therefore not possible to determine the number of individuals involved.
	
		
			 HM forces railcard sales 2009 to date 
			  Sales 
			 2009 32,690 
			 2010 52,230 
			 2011 66,610 
			 2012 71,980 
			 2013(1) 17,560 
			 (1) January 2013 to end April 2013.

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many agency workers are employed at each Defence Support Group site; what the security vetting level is of each such worker; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The number of agency workers currently employed at each Defence Support Group site is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Location Agency total 
			 Abingdon 1 
			 Aldershot 2 
			 Andover 2 
			 Ashchurch 78 
			 Bovington 11 
			 Catterick 9 
			 Colchester 12 
			 Donnington 29 
			 Longmoor 9 
			 Sealand 5 
			 Sennybridge 3 
			 Stafford 1 
			 Tidworth 8 
		
	
	
		
			 Warminster 29 
			 Woolwich 4 
			 Total 203 
		
	
	All agency personnel have a basic security level check, which is the level required of the majority of the Defence Support Group's work force. A number of higher level security level checks are required of agency personnel depending on which equipment platforms they are working.

Defence Support Group

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Defence Support Group sites have the capacity to service and maintain nuclear biological chemical clean air supply in military vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The Defence Support Group currently has the capacity to undertake the servicing and maintenance of nuclear, biological and chemical air supply units at both Bovington and Donnington sites and carries out inspections and testing of units at the Ashchurch site.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Philip Dunne: The current level of expenditure in financial year 2013-14—i.e. from 1 April 2013—with G4S and its associated companies is £307,000 as at 12 May 2013. Expenditure for each year from 2008-09 to 2012-13 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 MOD 6.325 6.999 7.444 8.705 4.471 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 0.003 1 0.003 0.002 0.020 0.000 
		
	
	The UK Hydrographic Office and the Defence Support Group have not committed any expenditure with G4S and its associated companies since 2008.

HMS Tireless

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 59, on HMS Tireless, what the duration of the leak was in hours and minutes; what the volume of the lost coolant was; whether the reactor closed down or tripped as soon as the leak occurred; whether such a leak automatically closes down or trips the reactor in this class of submarine; whether the leak has been investigated to ascertain if the reactor was in operation for any length of time before the leak was discovered; when a radiological analysis of the leaked coolant was carried out or estimated; what the radiological inventory of the leaked coolant was; what clean-up action was required inside the submarine as a result of the leak; whether any radioactively contaminated solids or liquids were off-loaded at Devonport; and whether any of the leaked radioactively contaminated coolant was discharged to sea.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 May 2013
	The duration from the initial report of the problem to the cessation of the leak was approximately 192 hours, throughout which normal radiological monitoring of the reactor compartment was conducted.
	Although the extremely sensitive radioactivity monitors indicated that elevated levels of airborne radioactivity had been detected, the coolant leak was not sufficient to produce a measurable quantity of liquid or affect the normal operation of the reactor, which was in operation throughout.
	On return to Devonport the reactor compartment was surveyed and a small amount of dry surface radioactive contamination was detected in the vicinity of the leak. The area was cleaned, following standard nuclear procedures, after which no further surface contamination was detected.
	No liquids associated with the leak were offloaded at Devonport or discharged at sea, and solid wastes arising from the cleaning and subsequent repair work have been removed in accordance with normal waste disposal procedures.
	I am withholding the information regarding the details of the radiological inventory as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many defence procurement contracts have used social value clauses from the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 since implementation of that Act; and what the estimated value of these contracts has been;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Philip Dunne: Current Ministry of Defence (MOD) guidance sets out that sustainability, which includes social, environmental and economic impacts, should be considered at all stages of the acquisition cycle. This guidance will be updated specifically to reflect the requirements of the Public Services Social Value Act 2012, although it should be noted that a significant number of MOD contracts fall under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 and are therefore outside the scope of the Act.
	To provide details of which contracts may include social value clauses would require individually checking with each MOD project team and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Research

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the level is of his Department's research budget; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The budget for the centralised Ministry of Defence Science and Technology Programme under the Department's chief scientific adviser for 2013-14 is £410 million, rounded to the nearest £5 million.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three financial years.

Gregory Barker: Please see as follows for the reply from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in relation to central London buildings used, owned or rented by the Department and its agencies.
	Please note the figures incorporate rent, rates, insurance (where applicable), core facilities management (service) charges and utilities (including electricity, gas and water).
	
		
			 DECC HQ—Occupation of 55 Whitehall with effect from July 2011. An area of one floor in 1 Victoria Street (HQ for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) with effect from August 2012 
			 £ 
			  3 Whitehall Place 55 Whitehall 1 Victoria Street 
			 2010-11 6,722,529 n/a n/a 
			 2011-12 6,831,006 359,118 n/a 
			 2012-13 (1)7,349,055.93 558,118.52 537,680 
			 (1) March 2013 gas bill as yet not received. 
		
	
	
		
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)—Moved from 65 Buckingham Gate to Eland House in September 2011 
			 £ 
			  65 Buckingham Gate Eland House 
			 2010-11 432,123.87 n/a 
			 2011-12 188,345.15 183,037.40 
			 2012-13 n/a 354,821.79 
		
	
	
		
			 The Committee for Climate Change (CCC)—Moved from Manning House to 7 Holbein Place after year 2010-11 
			 £ 
			  Manning House 7 Holbein Place 
			 2010-11 324,641 n/a 
			 2011-12 n/a 319,642 
			 2012-13 n/a 293,779

Energy Company Obligation: Rural Areas

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by energy companies on the rural safeguard sub-obligation delivering their carbon saving communities obligation to rural low income houses to date; and how many (a) oil-fired and (b) LPG-fired boilers have been replaced under the Affordable Warmth Scheme of the Energy Company Obligation to date.

Gregory Barker: We will be publishing information relating to ECO measures which have been delivered and notified to Ofgem in an Official Statistics release in June. However, these data will not be able to distinguish between oil-fired and LPG-fired boilers. For further information about measures available under ECO please see:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/ECO/Info-for-suppliers/Documents1/Energy%20Companies%20Obligation%20ECO%20-%20List%20of%20Measures%20and%20Additional%20 Information.pdf

Energy: Prices

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to make energy bills more easily understood.

Gregory Barker: Ofgem's Retail Market Review final proposals include mandating that prompts to consider energy options and essential tariff information are provided in prominent and noticeable positions on bills, and introducing industry consistency where appropriate. It also proposes new rules designed to increase consumers’ awareness of alternative tariffs and to help compare tariffs.
	The Government have introduced clauses into the Energy Bill so that they can act to implement these important reforms in the event that Ofgem's proposals are frustrated or unduly delayed.

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding (a) his Department and (b) each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible has allocated to the London borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: Most expenditure by the Department is for the benefit of the country as a whole and cannot be related to specific local authorities. A small number of schemes are allocated to particular localities and under an interest-free loan scheme for public sector organisations the London borough of Enfield has received £300,000 in 2010-11 and £4,415,000 in 2012-13.
	No non-departmental public body expenditure has been allocated specifically to the London borough of Enfield.

Fuel Poverty

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report, column 471, on fuel poverty, what evidential basis he used to state that fuel poverty increased between 1997 and 2010.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), did not state that fuel poverty increased between 1997 and 2010. As shown by official statistics, under the previous Administration fuel poverty rose from 1.2 million to 3.5 million households in England in the period 2004-10 and from 2 million to 4.75 million households in the UK over the same period.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not hold any contracts with G4S and therefore has not incurred any expenditure.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many staff from the Behavioural Insights Team have advised his Department on consumer take-up of the Green Deal to date;
	(2)  what progress the Behavioural Insights Team has made in advising his Department on how to encourage consumer take-up of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Behavioural Insights Team, the Green Deal Team and DECC's Customer Insight Team have collaborated on a range of projects over the past two years, and findings have been used to inform development of the Green Deal programme and consumer take-up.

Pay

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department received bonuses in excess of (a) £1,420, (b) £2,000, (c) £5,000, (d) £10,000, (e) £20,000 and (f) £50,000 in 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: The number of Department of Energy and Climate Change staff who in 2012-13 received a non-consolidated performance related award above the specified thresholds are shown as follows:
	129 staff received a non-consolidated performance related award in excess of £1,420
	Of these, 99 staff received non-consolidated performance related awards in excess of £2,000
	Of these, 23 workers received non-consolidated performance related awards in excess of £5,000 and
	Six of these received a non-consolidated performance related award in excess of £10,000 and
	No staff received a non-consolidated performance related award in excess of £20,000.

Pay

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department received bonuses in 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: A total of 911 officials received in-year and end-of-year non-consolidated performance related awards for 2012-13 from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance his Department issues on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment to an official in his Department; what the process is for clawing back such bonuses; and on how many occasions this has happened in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: DECC's performance management policy, in line with most of the public sector, do not provide a contractual right to a bonus payment. The Department's performance management policy sets out a right for staff to be properly and fairly assessed against established performance criteria.
	Discretionary bonus payments form part of DECC's performance management policy. The Department has not issued specific guidance on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment that has been paid to a member of staff. We would look to use other HR policies to deal with any issues that may call into question whether or not a bonus payment should have been paid.
	There have been no instances in the last five years of bonuses being “clawed back” by the Department.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has taken the following steps to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012:
	The Cabinet Office has circulated across Government a Procurement Policy note which has been circulated to all procurement staff to make them aware of the Public Services Act 2012.
	The Department takes part in across government discussions with the Procurement Knowledge Network spreading awareness and discussion of implementation of the Act with staff.
	The Department's procurement and legal team have discussed the Public Services Act 2012 and implications for policy teams.
	The Department's Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies follow guidance from the Cabinet Office regarding implementation of the Public Services Act.

Renewable Energy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether (a) fuel cells and (b) hydrogen are being considered as suitable for a feed-in tariff by April 2014.

Gregory Barker: The GB feed-in tariff scheme supports five technologies, wind, solar, hydro, anaerobic digestion and micro-CHP. Of these, micro-CHP can be fuelled by fuel cells or hydrogen.
	We recently completed the first comprehensive review of the FITs scheme, as part of this consultation we considered whether to extend support to other forms of technology. We received no significant evidence of a need to extend the scope of the scheme and therefore announced in July 2012 our intension to continue to support the above five technologies. Further details are available in the Government response document:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tariffs-for-non-pv-technologies-comprehensive-review-phase-2b

Renewable Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his reply to question 37 at the sitting of 15 January 2013 of the Public Bill Committee on the Energy Bill, when he plans to publish the consultation paper on a community energy strategy.

Michael Fallon: Later this year, we will publish a Community Energy Strategy. To inform the strategy, we will publish a Call for Evidence this spring, seeking responses from a wide range of organisations and individuals.
	Community energy is on the rise in the UK, reconnecting communities to the energy they use, community projects and initiatives focused on reducing, managing, generating or purchasing energy.

Wind Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many planning applications for onshore wind farms were (a) approved and (b) rejected in 2012.

Gregory Barker: According to the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), 215 onshore wind projects were consented over the whole of the UK from January to December 2012:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	Over this same period, the number of projects that were refused planning consent was 115.
	For completeness, the right hon. Lady may also wish to know that there were a further 84 applications for onshore wind projects that were withdrawn from the planning system during this period.

Wind Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much onshore wind capacity (a) received planning approval and (b) was rejected in 2012.

Gregory Barker: According to the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), 1892.97 megawatts installed capacity of onshore wind was consented over the whole of the UK from January to December 2012:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	Over this same period, 829.73 megawatts installed capacity of onshore wind was refused planning consent.
	For completeness, the right hon. Lady may also wish to know that applications for a further 320.88 megawatts installed capacity of onshore wind were withdrawn from the planning system.

Winter Fuel Payments

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions on measures to enable payment of winter fuel allowance earlier for off-grid customers.

Gregory Barker: DECC and the Department for Work and Pensions work closely together on a range of issues. This particular issue has been considered on a number of occasions, including at a recent roundtable discussion on off gas issues chaired by the Minister of State for Energy.

HEALTH

Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the needs of patients of all ages and from across the UK are provided for in the composition of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

Daniel Poulter: The future role of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation will be to provide advice to both NHS England on allocations to clinical commissioning groups and the Department on ring-fenced public health grants for local authorities, facilitated by a secretariat that is based in NHS England.
	The membership of the committee and its subgroups is now being reviewed by NHS England to develop proposals that ensure that it continues to have the right expertise for its important work, including the right mix of academics, clinicians, national health service managers, local authority managers, and representatives of patients and service users. The membership will be agreed between NHS England and the Department.

Babies: Screening

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment the UK National Screening Committee has made of the merits of compulsory oximetry tests for newborns; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department commissioned research into the accuracy of pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart disease. A National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme trial was undertaken at six hospitals in the West Midlands to determine this. The NIHR HTA reported in 2012 and the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is currently reviewing the results of the, trial and the world-wide clinical literature against their criteria. A consultation is scheduled to start in the autumn of 2013 for a recommendation early next year.
	The UK NSC will decide whether to recommend that pulse oximetry be added to the routine clinical examination of new born babies.

Cancer: Drugs

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he first asked the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group to put in place a review process for NHS patients excluded from the Cancer Drugs Fund national list from 1 April 2013;
	(2)  what funding mechanism has been available from 1 April 2013 to allow NHS patient access to selective internal radiation therapy prior to the outcomes of the review by the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group;
	(3)  how the review process by the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group into selective internal radiation therapy will be conducted; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has made no requests to the Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group (CRG).
	There is not currently national clinical consensus on the value that Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT) provides to patients and it is not routinely funded by NHS England.
	Patients may access SIRT through clinical trials open in the United Kingdom and NHS England encourages clinicians to discuss this possibility with eligible patients. Clinicians may also apply for SIRT treatment on behalf of patients through the individual funding request process.
	NHS England requested that the Radiotherapy CRG undertake an assessment of the latest clinical evidence base underpinning SIRT in order to inform a commissioning policy statement. A draft policy statement has now been agreed by the relevant CRG Chairs and will be considered by the Specialised Services Portfolio Board on 14 May 2013.

Cancer: Drugs

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the review process is for NHS patients for cancer treatments excluded from the Cancer Drugs Fund national list from April 2013;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of newly presenting NHS patients who will not receive cancer treatment from 1 April 2013 as a consequence of the transition of the Cancer Drugs Fund to the national list.

Norman Lamb: NHS England has reviewed the former strategic health authority Cancer Drugs Fund priority lists and published a national list of cancer drugs covered by cohort policies. Clinicians can apply to the national Cancer Drugs Fund for the inclusion of a drug within the national list, which is regularly reviewed and updated. This approach has resulted in improved consistency of access for patients.
	Regional clinical panels will continue to consider individual patient applications where a patient is considered to be exceptional to a cohort policy or where use under a cohort policy has not been considered due to the rarity of the condition.
	NHS England advises that no newly-diagnosed patients will be denied access to cancer treatment as a consequence of the transition of the fund to the national list.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish all calculations undertaken in the process of allocating resources to clinical commissioning groups for 2013-14; and what (a) formulae and (b) criteria were used in each such calculation.

Daniel Poulter: Decisions on the allocation of resources to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are a matter for NHS England, which would publish any supporting information.
	We are informed by NHS England that all CCGs' baseline allocations were increased by 2.3% for 2013-14.

Clinical Commissioning Groups: West Midlands

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct the area director of NHS England in Shropshire and Staffordshire to publish (a) the delegated budgets for the clinical commissioning groups in (i) North Staffordshire, (ii) Stoke-on-Trent, (iii) South Staffordshire and (iv) Shropshire in the year ending 31 March (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 and (b) what those budgets are per head of population in each such area in each financial year.

Daniel Poulter: We are informed by NHS England that North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, South Staffordshire and Shropshire are the old primary care trust (PCT) areas.
	Table 1 shows the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) budget for 2013-14 (supplied by NHS England). This covers the areas of the four above PCTs. It is difficult to map the old PCTs to the new CCG areas. This is the first year of CCG allocations hence 2012-13 data are not available.
	
		
			 Table 1: CCGs budget for 2013-14 
			 CCGs 2013-14 (£ million) Registered population Budgets are per head of population (£) 
			 North Staffordshire 248.40 212,949 1,166.48 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 334.60 278,920 1,199.63 
			 Cannock 149.20 131,900 1,131.16 
			 Stafford and Surrounds 154.30 144,598 1,067.10 
			 East Staffordshire 135 134,185 1,006.07 
			 Shropshire 342.90 298,133 1,150.16 
			 South East and Seisdon Peninsula 219.60 211,331 1,039.13 
			 Telford and Wrekin 185 172,239 1,074.09 
			 Source: NHS England

Emergency Services: Counselling

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for emergency service personnel waiting to receive trauma counselling.

Daniel Poulter: This information is not held centrally.

Emergency Services: Suicide

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the rate of suicide amongst emergency services personnel.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has not commissioned research specifically into suicide among emergency services personnel. The Department's National Institute for Health Research and Policy Research Programme (PRP) fund a range of research relating to suicide. Last year the PRP launched a research initiative to support implementation of the national suicide prevention strategy.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Daniel Poulter: Information held by the Department where available for the last-five financial years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is contained in the following table.
	
		
			 Departmental spend excluding VAT 
			 £ 
			 Supplier name 2008-09 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Grand total 
			 G4S Assessment Services (UK) LTD 630 3,098 790 790 5,308 
			 Group 4 Technology LTD 47,107 — — — 47,107 
			 Grand total 47,737 3,098 790 790 52,415 
		
	
	The Department also has a contract with Group 4 Total Security Limited for the provision of key holding and call out services for one alarmed premises. The Department cannot provide a total contract value until the end of the contract in 2014 as the contract is volume related and dependent on the number of call outs.
	In July 2008, the Department implemented a new business management system (BMS) which collects enhanced detail on the categorisation, purpose and value of orders. This has now given the Department the scope to be more specific about the nature of each of the consultancy commissions. However, information on the period of engagement for each case is not held on BMS.

Hospitals: Television

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to NHS hospitals regarding the amounts charged to patients for using television.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not issue guidance to national health service hospitals regarding the amounts charged to patients for using television.
	The bedside televisions in hospitals are operated and managed by providers who charge the patients on a pay per use basis.
	Each provider is responsible for setting its own charges in agreement with the NHS trust it is contracted to. The Department is not party to these contracts and therefore is not involved in setting the charges for the bedside television and telephone services.

Influenza

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans his Department has to respond to the potential spread of a human variant of the H7N9 influenza virus; and which Ministers have responsibility for civil contingency planning relating to an influenza pandemic.

Anna Soubry: The “UK influenza pandemic preparedness strategy 2011” is aimed at guiding and supporting integrated contingency planning and preparations for spread of a new influenza virus both in health and social care organisations and more widely across government and public and private sector organisations. It provides information on the likely impact of an influenza pandemic and sets out some of the key assumptions for use in response planning.
	Additionally, it describes the Government's strategic approach to responding to a pandemic and the arrangements within which organisations responsible for planning, delivering or supporting local responses should develop and maintain integrated operational arrangements.
	The Department of Health is the lead Department for planning for a human influenza pandemic, working in close conjunction with the Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office and the Health Ministers in the devolved Administrations. However, given the wide impacts of a pandemic all Government Departments are involved in planning to mitigate its impacts.

NHS England

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct the Board of NHS England to publish all minutes of its meetings that do not pertain to commercial confidentiality.

Anna Soubry: NHS England holds open board meetings—in line with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960—and publishes the minutes of the meetings.
	Details of NHS England's board meetings can be found on its website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/category/board-meetings/

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many procurement contracts issued in relation to the running of the NHS have used the social value clauses within the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to date; and what the estimated value of these contracts has been.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold information on how many procurement contracts issued in relation to the running of the national health service have used the social value clauses within the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to date centrally.
	The responsibility for compliance with relevant procurement regulation rests with individual NHS organisations, where they are acting as the contracting authority.

University Hospital of North Durham: Nurses

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses there were at University Hospital Durham in (a) May 2010 and (b) the latest month for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not centrally held in the format requested. Information on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table for the dates requested.
	
		
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 
			  FTE qualified nursing midwifery and health visiting staff 
			 May 2010 1,551 
			 January 2013 2,361 
			 Notes: 1. University Hospital Durham is part of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (FT). 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. As a consequence of Transforming Community Services the former provider arm of some primary care trusts (PCT) may have transferred into local acute trusts. This can be seen in the large increase in staff numbers at County Durham and Darlington NHS FT, which subsumed staff from Darlington PCT in September 2011. 4. IC seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. 5. As from 21 July 2010 the IC has published provisional monthly NHS workforce data. As expected with provisional statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly workforce data is not directly comparable with the annual workforce census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (i.e. it does not include primary care staff or bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.hscic.gov.uk Source: The Information Centre for health and social care (IC), Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics

TREASURY

UK Companies: Third World Markets

Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that UK companies operating in third world countries are more transparent and accountable regarding the tax they pay in those countries.

Sajid Javid: The UK plays a leading role in supporting developing countries to access sustainable sources of revenue, including through increasing transparency in the extractives sector to address corruption.
	One of the Government’s key priorities on tax and development is to ensure that developing countries can benefit from international advances on tax transparency and exchange of information as these are important tools in identifying and tackling international tax avoidance and evasion.

Autumn Statement: Upratings

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of working households that will be affected by the changes to the uprating of tax credits and other payments announced in the autumn statement 2012.

Sajid Javid: The 1% uprating from 2013-14 of working-age discretionary benefits and tax credits is estimated to affect 6.5 million working-age households by 2015-16.
	A further 2.9 million households are affected in 2015-16 by the 1% uprating of child benefit from April 2014.

National Infrastructure Plan

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on implementing the national infrastructure plan.

Sajid Javid: Two of the top 40 priority investments are due to complete later this year, including the King's Cross station improvements, worth over £500 million, and a roads programme.
	Also, Budget 2013 confirmed that the first UK guarantee for a commercial sponsor has been agreed—£75 million for Drax Power Station.
	To build on this success, from 2015-16, the Government will increase their spending plans by £3 billion per annum. This will mean £18 billion additional investment over the next Parliament.

Heseltine Review

John Stevenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Heseltine review.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on Lord Heseltine's proposal for the devolution of regeneration funding to local enterprise partnerships.

Greg Clark: The Government will enthusiastically implement the recommendations of Lord Heseltine's report.
	Local growth deals will be negotiated with every local enterprise partnership to transfer power and resources from Whitehall to the cities, towns and counties of our country.

High-carbon Assets

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on risks to UK financial stability from investment in high-carbon assets.

Greg Clark: The independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) of the Bank of England which has the primary objective of identifying, monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks to the UK financial system. Should the FPC conclude that investment in high carbon assets poses a systemic risk to the financial system, it is required to report and explain that risk in its six-monthly Financial Stability Report.

Financial Sector: Reform

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reform the regulation of the financial sector.

Greg Clark: This Government have moved quickly to correct the fundamental errors in the regulatory system that, in part, caused the financial crisis.
	In two and a half years we have replaced the failed system with:
	A financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England to identify and prevent systemic risks
	A new Prudential Regulation Authority
	A dedicated conduct regulator
	And in the Banking Reform Bill, currently before this House, we will require everyday banking services to be ring-fenced from more risky investment banking activities.

Child Poverty

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Government fiscal policy on child poverty.

Sajid Javid: The Government have protected vulnerable groups as far as possible while urgently taking action to tackle the record deficit it inherited.
	Work remains the best and most immediate way out of poverty and the Budget took action to support families and make the tax and welfare system fairer: including further increasing the income tax personal allowance to take 2.7 million people on low incomes out of tax altogether.

Financial Services: Business

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the number of people who have been wrongly advised by a financial adviser and have subsequently gone out of business in each year since 2010-11;
	(2)  what (a) recourse and (b) compensation is available to people who have gone out of business as a result of being wrongly advised by a financial adviser.

Sajid Javid: Businesses which have complaints about the advice which they have received from their financial adviser may be able to pursue compensation through the courts or, if they are a micro-enterprise, through the Financial Ombudsman Service.
	Where there has been a breach of relevant requirements the Financial Conduct Authority has powers to intervene in certain circumstances and may be able to require firms to take remedial action. For example, it has powers to impose industry or single firm redress schemes. However, it is not within its remit to resolve individual cases.

Minimum Wage

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the minimum wage over the remainder of this Parliament.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government remain committed to the national minimum wage (NMW).
	The Government annually review the minimum wage rates that should apply and make their decision on the basis of recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. We intend to continue with this approach.
	On 15 April 2013 we announced the minimum wage rates that will apply from 1 October 2013 and I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on 15 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1-3WS.
	In addition, we are consolidating the numerous NMW regulations into a single set of regulations. This is because we want to reflect the simplicity and clarity of the NMW rules within a single set of regulations. We will introduce the improved set of regulations, following consultation, during this Parliament.

Public Expenditure: Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what formula his Department will use to adjust the block grant to Scotland to reflect the implementation of the new taxation powers contained in the Scotland Act 2012.

Danny Alexander: The Government have agreed a block grant adjustment mechanism with the Scottish Government in relation to the Scottish rate of income tax, whereby the adjustment will be indexed against growth in the UK non-savings non-dividend income tax base. Discussions on an adjustment mechanism in relation to Stamp Duty Land Tax and Landfill Tax are ongoing.
	Further information is contained in the Government's first annual report on the implementation of the Scotland Act 2012, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-annual-report-on-the-implementation-of-the-financial-provisions-of-the-scotland-act-2012

Tax Allowances: Married People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to introduce transferable tax allowances for married couples.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to recognising marriage in the tax and benefit system and will bring forward proposals in due course.

Welfare State: Reform

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the expected percentage reduction in welfare expenditure that will be achieved through changes to the benefits system.

Sajid Javid: Welfare spending rose by 20% in real terms in the decade before the financial crisis, leaving reduced resources available for other public services. Reforming the welfare system will not only put welfare spending on a more sustainable footing, but will also reduce pressures on public services.
	The Government have made a series of reforms that impact on welfare expenditure. Prior to autumn statement 2012, the Government announced measures saving £18 billion from welfare spending in 2014-15. Autumn statement 2012 announced welfare reforms saving a further £3.7 billion in 2015-16.
	Total welfare expenditure in 2013-14 is projected to be £204 billion. Further information on welfare expenditure, including forecasts, can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure_tables_Budget_2013.xls

Working Tax Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of the childcare element of working tax credit claimed for the maximum eligible childcare costs for (a) one child and (b) two or more children; and how many such households incurred childcare costs in excess of these limits in each year since 2005-06.

Sajid Javid: Tax credit rules state that the maximum amount a family can claim in childcare costs is £175p/w for one child and £300p/w for two or more children.
	The following table details the number of families claiming the childcare element of working tax credit, and the weekly childcare costs being claimed for by the family. The number of families claiming childcare costs of £175p/w and £300p/w has also been provided. Information on whether the families with these costs are claiming the maximum amount is only available at disproportionate cost.
	Data for 2011-12 are unavailable. HMRC is due to publish the 2011-12 Tax Credits Finalised Annual awards at the end of May 2013.
	
		
			 Numbers (thousand) 
			  2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Under £20 45 44 44 44 
			 £20-£39.99 73 71 69 67 
			 £40-£59.99 65 64 63 62 
			 £60-£79.99 60 58 55 52 
			 £80-£99.99 50 49 48 46 
			 £100-£119.99 38 39 38 36 
			 £120-£139.99 33 35 36 33 
			 £140-£159.99 29 30 29 24 
			 £160-£179.99 33 35 33 25 
			 Of which is £175: 15 17 16 12 
			 £180-£199.99 1 1 1 6 
			 £200-£249.99 11 12 12 10 
			 £250 or more 13 15 14 11 
			 Of which is £300: 6 7 6 5 
		
	
	Information on families' actual incurred childcare costs in excess of the weekly thresholds is only available at disproportionate cost.
	The Government are making a sustained investment in early education and childcare. The Government have already extended the free entitlement to 15 hours of early education and childcare for all three-four year olds, and are investing an additional £760 million a year to extending this provision to 260,000 two year olds from lower income families by 2014-15.
	On 20 March 2013 the Government announced that they would develop a new Tax-Free Childcare scheme that is simple and easy for parents to access. The new scheme will expand support for affordable childcare to 2.5 million families, not just the 450,000 or so who are fortunate enough to work for an employer that offers employer support childcare (ESC). From autumn 2015 working families will be able to claim 20% of childcare costs of up to £1,200 per child aged under twelve (£2,400 for two children, £3,600 for three children etc.) under a new Tax-Free Childcare scheme.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Apprentices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many apprenticeships have been created in (a) the tourism sector and (b) libraries in (i) Barnsley Central constituency, (ii) South Yorkshire and (iii) England in (A) 2010, (B) 2011 and (C) 2012.

Edward Vaizey: Six travel services apprenticeships have been completed in South Yorkshire (including Barnsley) since April 2012; five intermediate apprenticeships and one advanced.
	People 1(st) have advised that the number of apprenticeship completions for April 2012 by Pathway in England are:
	
		
			 Pathway Intermediate (Level 2) Advanced (Level 3) 
			 Catering and Professional Chefs   
			 Food Production and Cooking 2,536 — 
			 Professional Cookery 1,960 409 
			 Patisserie and Confectionary — 35 
			    
			 Hospitality   
			 Hospitality Services 4,619 — 
			 Food and Beverage Services 3,459 — 
			 Housekeeping 572 — 
			 Front of House Reception 254 — 
			 Hospitality, Supervision and Leadership — 1,953 
			    
			 Travel   
			 Travel Services—Leisure and Business; Tour Operators, Head Office; Tour Operators, Field Staff 334 — 
			 Travel Services—Leisure and Business — 352 
			 Tour Operators—Field Staff — 22 
		
	
	Data for 2010 and 2011 are not available.
	We are not aware of any apprenticeships having been created in public libraries for the geographical areas or the years requested. However, there is potential for apprenticeships in libraries in the future through Arts Council's Creative Employment Programme which was launched in March 2013. It supports the creation of traineeships, apprenticeships and internships for young unemployed people aged 16 to 24 wishing to pursue a career in the arts and cultural sector including libraries. The programme is managed by Creative and Cultural Skills and will distribute £15 million to the programme which completes in 2015.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance she has given to her Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Hugh Robertson: The requirements of the Social Value Act have been translated into the Department’s procurement policy, which has been communicated to all staff within the Department. The Department has made ALBs aware of their responsibilities under the Act and these considerations will take place at the pre-procurement stage of future tendering exercises.

TRANSPORT

Blue Badge Scheme

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enable temporary Blue Badges.

Norman Baker: It is important that we ensure the scheme remains sustainable and protects preferential parking facilities for people with permanent disabilities affecting their ability to walk.
	I recently considered this issue as part of the wider Blue Badge reform programme but have taken the decision not to extend eligibility to people with temporary impairments.
	It would be costly to implement at a time of pressure on public sector resources with over 2.5 million badges on issue.

Bus Services

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which regulations affecting the bus industry have been withdrawn since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport published the outcome of the Road Transportation Red Tape Challenge, which includes regulations relating to buses, in December 2011. This document is published on the internet at the following address and can be made available in the Library of the House:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/road-transport-red-tape-challenge
	Although no repeals have yet taken effect, the Department is now preparing legislation which will give effect to some of these measures.

Directly Operated Railways

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which rail passenger franchises Directly Operated Railways are currently on standby to take over if negotiations between his Department and the incumbent operator for a contract extension are not successful.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), announcement on Rail Passenger franchising on 26 March 2013 setting out the Government’s future franchising programme including the proposals for Direct Awards. At that time, the Department made it clear that the Government’s preference is to negotiate direct awards with the current operators but that Directly Operated Railways will be readied in case agreement cannot be reached. This remains the case and the company has plans in place to ensure that it can take over any franchise where commercial agreement cannot be reached as part of the direct award programme.

Directly Operated Railways

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of Directly Operated Railways' capacity to take over the operation of rail passenger franchises if it proves impossible to conclude negotiations successfully with the incumbent operator for a contract extension.

Simon Burns: The Department has made a full assessment of the capacity required for Directly Operated Railways to take over the operation of rail passenger franchises if it proves impossible to conclude negotiations with the incumbent operator for a Direct Award. A detailed plan has been submitted by Directly Operated Railways on how they will resource for each competition following the announcement of the Rail Franchise Schedule on 26 March.

Directly Operated Railways

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for how many rail passenger franchises Directly Operated Railways could take over responsibility in the event that it is not possible for his Department to successfully conclude contract extension negotiations with the incumbent train operating company.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State has the responsibility under the Railways Act 1993, as amended, to maintain the continuity of passenger rail services. Under Section 30 of the Act the Secretary of State has the power to transfer the operation of services to an “operator of last resort.” Directly Operated Railways fulfil the function of that “operator of last resort.” In the event that the Department is unable to successfully conclude negotiations for a Direct Award with the incumbent train operating company, we do not foresee any problem with Directly Operated Railways continuing to fulfil the Secretary of State's duty under the Act.

Ferries: Registration

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vessels with valid licences to operate in the UK ferry sector are registered under (a) non-UK and (b) non-EU flags.

Stephen Hammond: The number of individual vessels currently operating in the UK ferry sector is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 (a) Non-UK 95 
			 (b) Non-EU 20

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Norman Baker: The current level of expenditure to the nearest pound by my Department on contracts with G4S, as well as spend in each year since 2008, is shown in the table below.
	
		
			 Agency 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14* TOTAL 
			 DfTc £3,247 £4,272 £5,739 £8,817 £5,811 £0.00 £27,887 
			 DSA £30,532 £38,834 £55,127 £15,362 £6,746 £371 £146,971 
			 DVLA £218,969 £240,217 £258,121 £209,714 £22,766 £0.00 £949,788 
			 GCDA/GCS £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 
			 HA £0.00 £1,267 £387,459 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £388,726 
			 MCA £51,821 £17,697 £14,185 £15,718 £24,287 £3,513 £127,222 
			 VGA £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 
			 VOSA £103,000 £102,000 £95,000 £103,000 £19,000 £4,000 £426,000 
			 TOTAL £407,569 £404,287 £815,631 £352,611 £78,610 £7,884 £2,066,594 
			 * Spend up to 10 May 2013

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department intends to publish and introduce the High Speed 2 Preparation Bill as announced in the Queen's Speech of 8 May 2013.

Simon Burns: The High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill was introduced into the House of Commons and published on Monday 13 May.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons his Department's High Speed 2 Environmental Report is not intended to be displayed at the (a) Little Chalfont and (b) Chalfont Street Peter libraries in Chesham and Amersham constituency.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd are aiming to send copies of the relevant documents to two libraries per community forum area. As a result, both Chalfont St Giles Community Library and Amersham Library will be provided with the relevant documentation in the Chesham and Amersham Constituency. This is felt to be a reasonable approach given the Government's overall policy of 'digital by default' and that the documents will also be available online, will be available upon request, and will be available at public events proposed for each community forum area.

Network Rail

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether train operating companies are able to bid for contracts tendered by Network Rail.

Simon Burns: Train operating companies are restricted under the terms of their Franchise Agreement from carrying out any business or activities other than the provision and operation of its Franchise Services (as so defined in their Franchise Agreement) unless they have the prior written consent of the Secretary of State.

Railways: East of England

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a study to outline the feasibility and initial cost of introducing a half-hourly train service between Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

Simon Burns: It is not currently possible to enhance the service between Cambridge and Stansted airport as there are not enough available diesel trains to operate this service. This situation will change when electrification in the north of England is completed. It is possible then that the Department would consider whether or not it is appropriate to enhance the frequency of services between Cambridge and Stansted airport. This first opportunity to consider this issue is the East Anglia franchise starting in October 2016.

Railways: East of England

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of introducing a half-hourly train service between Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

Simon Burns: The Government have not yet conducted an assessment of what the cost to the public purse is of providing half-hourly service between Cambridge and Stansted airport. We would normally consider this as part of developing the proposition for the franchise. In the specific case of East Anglia it will not be possible to consider this before the franchise starting in 2016 as there will be no more diesel trains available to operate this service before this date.

Railways: East of England

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential gross value added to the economy of the East of England by improving rail links between Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

Simon Burns: The Government have not yet conducted an assessment of the potential gross value added to the economy of the East of England by improving rail links between Cambridge and Stansted airport. We would normally consider this as part of developing the proposition for the franchise. In the specific case of East Anglia it will not be possible to consider this before the franchise starting in 2016 as there will be no more diesel trains available to operate this service before this date.

Railways: Franchises

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is subject to a legal duty to undertake a consultation exercise on the content of rail franchises prior to issuing an invitation to tender.

Simon Burns: The Department is under no express statutory duty to consult the public on the content of rail franchises but is subject to an overriding duty to act fairly in the exercise of its functions. The Railways Acts do include obligations to consult with certain devolved Administrations, Passenger Transport Executives and other bodies before issuing an invitation to tender. In the past we have carried out a public consultation on the service specification for each franchise prior to the issue of an invitation to tender and we expect to do so for future competitions.

Railways: Franchises

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is required to publish the results of consultations over the content of rail passenger franchise contracts; and if he will publish the results of any such consultations concluded in the last two years.

Simon Burns: The Government's guidance for consultation can be found on the Cabinet Office website at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consultation-principles-guidance
	For rail franchises we have published a summary of responses as part of the pack of documents issued with the Invitation to Tender for each franchise and we would expect to continue to do this.
	The Department carried out formal consultation on the three current franchises (Essex Thameside; Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN); and InterCity East Coast) in 2012. The summary of responses for the consultation carried out on the Essex Thameside franchise was published with the ITT in July 2012
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essex-thameside-franchise-invitation-to-tender
	We expect to publish a summary of responses to each of the TSGN and InterCity East Coast consultations in summer this year.

Railways: Franchises

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to undertake further consultation on the content of contracts for rail passenger franchises prior to issuing any new invitations to tender for such contracts, in light of the (a) revised rail franchise schedule published on 26 March 2013 and (b) recommendations of the Brown review of the rail franchising programme; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Government are in frequent dialogue with the rail industry, local authorities and passengers regarding the development of rail franchises. The Department has previously carried out formal consultation on each specific franchise prior to the issue of the Invitation to Tender for them and we intend to continue to do so.
	The Department has previously consulted on the Essex Thameside; Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern; and East Coast franchises. When formulating the Invitations to Tender for these competitions we will take into account the views expressed in the responses to these consultations alongside the recommendations of the Brown review, which Richard Brown stated should be
	“implemented on a phased basis”.

Railways: Franchises

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the EU (a) regulations and (b) directives his Department has taken cognisance of when awarding (i) contract extensions and (ii) temporary contracts to incumbent rail passenger franchisees.

Simon Burns: In some cases the Department is exercising an existing contractual right to extend the franchise and in others the Department is negotiating with incumbent operators with a view to entering into a new, directly awarded franchise agreement for a further term before an invitation to tender can be issued and a full open competition held to operate the relevant franchise. In all cases, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), is cognisant of all of his duties and obligations under the Railways Acts (including Section 26 and his policy published thereunder) and under domestic and European procurement, competition and state aid law, including in particular Regulation 1370/2007 on public passenger transport services by rail and by road.

Rescue Services

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of shifts were staffed at below risk-assessed levels across all maritime rescue co-ordination centres in April 2013.

Stephen Hammond: Out of the 960 watchkeeping shifts worked across all Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) during April 2013 172.8 individual shifts were staffed at below risk assessed levels. These situations are mitigated by ‘MRCC pairing' where each MRCC is connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

Shipping

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of seafarer (a) ratings and (b) officers working on vessels registered under the (i) UK and (ii) Red Ensign Group flag were (A) UK nations, (B) non-UK nationals and (C) non-EU nationals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Hammond: Information on the proportion of seafarer ratings and officers working on vessels registered on the flags of the UK and other Category 1 members of the Red Ensign Group (REG) (Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man), is not held by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Records may be maintained separately by the other individual Category 1 Administrations.
	The MCA does however maintain a record of Certificates of Competency that it issues to (a) UK nationals, (b) EU nationals, (c) REG nationals and (d) Non EU nationals. This information is provided in the following table detailing the number of Certificates of Competency issued to personnel working on board all types of vessels including Deck, Engine, Yachts, Tugs and Inshore Craft during 2011 and 2012.
	
		
			  Number of certificates issued 
			 Seafarer nationality 2011 2012 
			 UK Nationals 1275 1343 
			 Non UK Nationals 5938 2326 
			 Total 7213 3669 
			 Red Ensign Nationals (including UK National) 1276 1344 
			 Non Red Ensign Nationals 5937 2325 
			 Total 7213 3669 
			 EU Nationals (including UK National) 2843 1970 
			 Non EU Nationals 4370 1699 
			 Total 7213 3669

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total number of commercial vessels over 500 gross tonnage working on routes to and from UK ports that will not be covered by laws implementing the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 after the Convention comes into force.

Stephen Hammond: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency estimates there are currently 107 commercial vessels over 500 gross tonnage operating from UK ports which will not be subject to survey or inspection under regulations implementing the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 after the convention comes into force.
	However, many of the UK standards implementing the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 apply to all seagoing ships, including these vessels.

Shipping: Registration

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the ships over 500 gross tonnage working on commercial routes to and from UK ports were registered under (a) non-UK and (b) non-EU flags in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The proportion of commercial ships over 500 gross tonnes arriving at UK ports that are registered under non UK and non EU flags can be seen in the following table.
	On average, over the last five years, 68% of all commercial ships over 500gt arriving at UK ports were registered under (a) non-UK flags, and 54% were registered under (b) non-EU flags.
	
		
			 Proportion of arrivals for ships over 500gt (percentage) 
			 Country of registration 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 (a) Non-UK 72 71 66 64 67 
			 (b) Non-EU 57 57 52 51 55 
		
	
	Please note that 2011 is the latest year currently available.

Tonnage Tax

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new training roles for UK seafarers were created under the approved core training commitments submitted by company groups that qualified for the tonnage tax scheme for 2012-13.

Stephen Hammond: Approved core training commitments for the 2012-13 training commitment year are around 600 for new first year officer trainees. Additionally, company groups are required to provide second and third year training for trainees taken on during the previous two years when they were in the tonnage tax. The cumulative training commitment for 2012-13 is therefore around 1,800 officer trainees.

Tonnage Tax

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current total is for Payments in Lieu of Training made by shipping company groups that qualified for the tonnage tax scheme in 2012-13.

Stephen Hammond: The tonnage tax training requirement is monitored on the basis of training commitment years, which run from October to September, rather than on a financial year basis. Payments in Lieu of Training (PILOT) are made to the Maritime Training Trust, the independent industry body set up for this purpose. The current total of PILOT payments due for Period 1, October 2012 to January 2013, is £380,514. This figure may change when outstanding End of Period Adjustment returns are received.

Traffic Commissioners

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the future regulatory role of traffic commissioners in respect of the bus industry; and if he will take steps to (a) expand the regulatory remit and (b) increase the resourcing of traffic commissioners.

Norman Baker: I have no plans to change the regulatory role or resourcing of Traffic Commissioners in respect of the bus industry at this time.
	The Department is due to carry out a review of the role of Traffic Commissioners later in the year.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by her Department and its non-departmental public body in each of the last three financial years.

Alan Duncan: DFID occupied premises at 1 Palace Street, London, SW1, over the last three years. The total running costs for this building were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 8,214,704 
			 2011-12 8,703,838 
			 2012-13 (1)9,069,918 
			 (1) Estimate. 
		
	
	DFID vacated this building in early 2013, and moved to smaller, freehold premises in Whitehall. The corresponding running costs are expected to be around £2,500,000 p.a., and it will save £62.5 million over the next seven years.
	In addition, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact has occupied space within the Scottish Office in Whitehall. Its costs, since its creation, were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011-12 20,090 
			 2012-13 (1)20,080 
			 (1) Budget figure, to be confirmed in ICAI's Annual Report to the House of Commons International Development Committee in June 2013.

EU Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding her Department gave to (a) EuropeAid and (b) the European Development Fund; how such spending is scrutinised and relates to each other; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID's funding (a) towards the General EU Budget for external assistance and (b) of the European Development Fund are shown for the last three available years in the following table.
	
		
			 £000 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 General EU Budget 788,851 833,029 802,706 
			 European Development Fund 397,452 435,534 417,370 
			 Source: Table 18, Statistics on International Development 2012 
		
	
	The quality of the programme spending is examined by independent audits, the results-monitoring system and evaluations published by EuropeAid Evaluation Unit. Before the Commission can adopt individual programmes the UK (and all EU member states) formally scrutinise projects and their funding for the European Development Fund and other external aid instruments.

EU Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on UK funding towards the European Defence and Security Policy which is then marked against the UK's Overseas Development Assistance target; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The Statistical Directives issued by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) set out what spending can be recorded as Official Development Assistance (ODA). The costs of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions are funded as part of our assessed contributions to the European Union (EU). In accordance with these Directives, the costs of CSDP civilian-led EU missions are recorded as ODA. Civilian CSDP missions have played, and continue to play, an important role in areas such as supporting Rule of Law, Border Management, and Justice Sector Reform. The costs of Military CSDP operations are mostly recorded as non-ODA due to the nature of the activities undertaken. Identified ODA eligible activities are scored as such.
	These missions are all funded through the Conflict Settlement, managed tri-departmentally by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

EU Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how she influences how funds are spent and projects scrutinised by (a) Europeaid and (b) the European Development Fund.

Lynne Featherstone: A UK Representative sits on all the committees to take decisions on funding and programming of EU development spend. I and my officials have regular dialogue with our Commission counterparts, including EuropeAid, the European Commission Directorate-General responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid programmes under both the European Development Fund and the EU aid instruments under the General EU budget.
	The UK currently has a particular opportunity to influence EU external assistance spending. Negotiations on the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2014-20 are enabling the UK to secure better focused EU programmes around greater support to the poorest, a greater focus on results and to enhance systems used by the Commission to identify what results have been achieved.

EU Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 608W, on EU aid, what the relationship is between Europeaid and the European Development Fund; whether there are any plans to combine those two funding streams; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: By decision of the European Council in February 2013, the European Development Fund remains outside the general EU budget and is funded by voluntary member state contributions. Along with the other development related external assistance instruments it is implemented by EuropeAid, the European Commission Directorate-General responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid through programmes across the world.
	The future of the European Development Fund will next be reassessed when the Cotonou Agreement, the Partnership Arrangement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, and the European Union, expires in 2020.

EU Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 608W, on EU aid, how decisions on funding to Europaid and to the European Development Fund are made; what the reasons are for differing amounts of funding being allocated to each; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: At the February 2013 European Council, EU Heads of State agreed the funding ceilings for the next budget cycle, 2014-20, for the European Development Fund (EDF) and for the General EU Budget including external assistance. The funding ceiling and member states shares for the EDF are now finalised and allocation to individual EDF spending priorities is being negotiated by member states.
	EU Budget financial ceilings are now subject to negotiation and agreement with the European Parliament. External assistance programmes funded from the EU Budget will then be agreed by member states. The UK's financial shares for these programmes will be determined as part of our overall EU Budget share.
	EuropeAid, the European Commission Directorate-General responsible for designing EU development policies and delivering aid programmes, manages both the EDF and the EU aid instruments under the General EU Budget.

G4S

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the current level of expenditure by her Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by her Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008.

Alan Duncan: The following table gives details of expenditure with G4S, including current year to date spend. No expenditure has been recorded before 2011-12.
	
		
			  Spend (£) 
			 2011-12 394,252 
			 2012-13 415,976 
			 2013-14 52,409

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance she has given to her Department's non-departmental public body on implementation of that Act.

Alan Duncan: DFID applies Social Impact Appraisal as part of its standard Business Case process.
	The Cabinet Office has been working closely with organisations such as Social Enterprise UK and the National Housing Federation to organise a series of regional events to raise awareness of the Act across local government commissioners and social enterprises. Representatives from various Government Departments have been in attendance and collectively HMG is looking to encourage positive change in the way that public services are commissioned.

Publications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: DFID spent the following on its academic journal subscriptions from 2010 to 2013. Expenditure for previous financial years can be compiled only at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Period Publisher £ 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 (a) Elsevier 44,383 
			  (b) Wiley-Blackwell 80,564 
			  (c) Springer 0 
			  (d) Other publisher(s):  
			  Palgrave MacMillan & Reed 5,254 
			  Business International Ltd AAAS 2,563 
			  Oxford University Press 2,656 
			  Taylor & Francis 25,001 
			  BMJ Publishing Group 1,478 
			  Sage 4,212 
			    
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 (a) Elsevier 45,273 
			  (b) Wiley-Blackwell 13,996 
			  (c) Springer 0 
			  (d) Other publisher(s):  
			  Palgrave MacMillan & Reed 9,698 
			  Business International Ltd AAAS 3,823 
			  Cambridge University Press 492 
			  Oxford University Press 3,310 
			  Taylor & Francis 26,552 
			  Sage 3,710 
			  BMJ Publishing Group 3,012 
			    
			 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 (a) Elsevier 44,971 
			  (b) Wiley-Blackwell 14,998 
			  (c) Springer 0 
			  (d) Other publisher(s):  
		
	
	
		
			  Palgrave MacMillan & Reed 10,244 
			  Business International Ltd AAAS 2,848 
			  Oxford University Press 3,480 
			  Taylor & Francis 27,765 
			  BMJ Publishing Group 3,253 
			  Sage 2,418 
			  ICE 2,475 
			  IWA Publishing 1,015

South Africa

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  when she reached agreement with the South African government to end the UK's bilateral aid programme to South Africa in 2015;
	(2)  with which South African government department it was agreed that the UK's bilateral aid programme to South Africa should end in 2015;
	(3)  if there is a written record confirming the South African government's agreement to the UK ending its bilateral aid programme to South Africa in 2015.

Justine Greening: Ministers and officials from DFID discussed our intention to end the UK's bilateral aid programme from 2015 with the South African National Treasury, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and Presidency on various occasions over the last year.
	We will have further discussions about the nature and scope of our future development relationship with South Africa including at the next Bilateral Forum.

JUSTICE

Data Protection: Crime

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to making breach of section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 a recordable offence.

Helen Grant: Following Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press, it is the Government's intention to conduct a public consultation on the full range of Lord Justice Leveson's data protection recommendations, including on whether to make an Order introducing custodial sentences under section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (CJIA).

Driving Offences: Fines

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been collected from motoring fines issued in (a) Bassetlaw constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service systems do not identify amounts collected for specific offences or for specific constituencies. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for commercialisation of HM Courts and Tribunal Services.

Helen Grant: As set out in the written ministerial statement of 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 94-95WS, my Department has been asked to explore proposals for the reform of the resourcing and administration of HM Courts and Tribunals services. This includes considering options to raise the revenue and investment necessary to modernise the infrastructure and deliver a better and more flexible service to users. An update on this work will be provided in due course.

Police Cautions

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cautions were issued for (a) triable either way offences and (b) indictable-only offences in each year from 2002 to 2012 in (i) total and (ii) each police authority area.

Jeremy Wright: The use of cautions is at its lowest level for more than five years, as is the number of cautions issued to those who have a previous criminal record. However, the public and victims have a right to expect that people who commit serious crimes should be brought before a court. On 3 April 2013 we launched a review into the use of cautions which will focus on the use of cautions for serious offences and persistent offenders. Among other things, the review will examine whether there are some offences for which the use of simple cautions is generally inappropriate, the reasons why multiple cautions are given to some criminals and the difference in the use of cautions by police force areas. The review is a significant step to ensuring that cautions are used correctly, in the interests of justice, and command the confidence of the public.
	The decision whether to offer a caution is an operational matter for the police and in some circumstances the CPS depending on the circumstances of the offence and offender. Court will always be the right place for serious and contested cases and those involving prolific offenders. However, there will always be exceptional cases in which a prosecution for what appears to be a relatively serious offence is not in the public or the victim's interest. While we should not remove police officer discretion, the public have a right to expect that people who commit serious crimes should be brought before a court.
	The number of cautions issued for indictable only and triable either way offences, and the caution rate by type of offence in each police force area in England and Wales in each year from 2002 to 2011 (latest data available), can be viewed in the tables placed in the Library. Statistics on out-of-court disposals in 2012 are planned for publication in May 2013.

Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times employees of the Prison Service have been found guilty of criminal activity in the workplace in each year since 2003, by category of offence.

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Electronic Equipment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on (a) televisions, (b) games consoles, (c) subscription television channels and (d) DVD players in publicly-run prisons.

Jeremy Wright: On 30 April, we announced changes to the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme, under which prisoners earn access to in cell television, games consoles and DVD players. The changes, which will come into effect from 1 November, will ensure that privileges are appropriate and earned not just through good behaviour but also through the demonstration of positive behaviour targeted at rehabilitation.
	The provision of in-cell television in both public and private sector prisons is entirely self-financing; the money comes from payments made by prisoners. Some establishments may have televisions in other areas of the prison—for example, in public areas or for education provision.
	In the adult estate, all games consoles are purchased at prisoners’ own expense. No public funds must be used to purchase games consoles and equipment. Access to games consoles is restricted to prisoners who are on the enhanced level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme. Separate arrangements are in place in the under-18 estate.
	Subscription television channels are not available in publicly run prisons. The changes we are introducing to the IEP scheme mean that access to subscription television channels is being removed from contracted out prisons.
	Where prisoners are permitted to purchase DVD players, under local IEP schemes, this is at their own expense. Some prisons may use DVD players as part of education provision.
	The National Offender Management Service's central accounting system does not hold separately expenditure details on televisions, games consoles for the under 18 estate, or DVD players used outside of cells in publicly-run prisons. In order to obtain the costs, local records would need to be examined at each establishment. The costs would then need to be extracted, disaggregated and then centrally collated and reviewed. To establish these costs would therefore incur a disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mental health treatment options are available to prisoners; whether there is proven cost-effectiveness for those treatments; and what the average cost is of prison-based mental health treatment per prisoner.

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	Prisoners have the same mental health problems as everyone else. Treatment is based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and wherever possible is equivalent to that provided in the community. There is therefore a range of medication, individual and group therapy.
	From 1 April 2013 NHS England has been responsible for the commissioning of mental health services for prisoners.
	The information requested about cost effectiveness and average cost is not held centrally.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on installing the nDelius system to date; and how much it expects to spend on the system in total.

Helen Grant: The nDelius (National Delius) system is in the process of being rolled-out across probation Trusts in England and Wales, with the project scheduled to complete in October 2013. This new case management system for Probation Trusts is currently in daily use within seven of the 35 probation Trusts, including the whole of Wales. The cost to date of delivering this new ICT service is approximately £48 million. This cost is fully inclusive of the design, IT development, testing, and business implementation. The cost includes full NOMS spend with suppliers as well as internal NOMS costs.
	The project is projecting that a further £7.7 million will be spent in 2013-14 to complete business implementation. This forecast spend is fully aligned with the project's overarching business case which was reviewed and approved by the Treasury in September 2012. The system is planned to remain a key part of the case management infrastructure for probation services, used by the public sector and a range of contracted out providers in the future, further to the reforms put in place under the Government's Transforming Rehabilitation programme.
	A proposal that the retained public sector continues to use nDelius and other providers have secure access to the nDelius dataset is designed to underpin cost effective delivery and innovation, ensures that a national case view of offenders managed in the community is maintained and effective management information is provided. The availability of a single national case management system, coupled with a national risk management system (OASys-R-recently successfully deployed and operating across all prisons and probation trusts), better facilitates new business processes and the necessary organisational changes being made at pace with risks better managed.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if his Department undertook a risk assessment of the installation of the nDelius system.

Helen Grant: In answering this question it has been assumed that it refers to the new National Delius (nDelius) system being implemented across all 35 probation trusts. This is distinct from the Delius system which is used currently within five probation trusts and is scheduled to be replaced by the new national system.
	The nDelius system has been rigorously tested by a significant number of front-line staff in advance of the system being accepted from ICT suppliers. In addition the new system completed an operational business pilot during November/December 2012 to confirm it was suitably fit for business implementation. Prior to entering business pilot the system also went through an OGC Gateway 4 Review to confirm readiness for live service. As with all large ICT systems deployed by NOMS there is a rigorous acceptance into service process which seeks to ensure that the known risks of migrating to any new ICT system are minimised.
	The nDelius system has now been in full live service since 4 February 2013. The service is proving stable, and initial feedback from the early trusts using the system has been encouraging—particularly in respect of system usability; Assistive Technology compliance; and the connectivity that National Delius allows with other national systems. The system is planned to remain a key part of the case management infrastructure for probation services, used by the public sector and a range of contracted out providers in the future, further to the reforms put in place under the Government's Transforming Rehabilitation programme.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the outcome of his Department's matching of the electoral register with Department for Work and Pensions data in communities with (a) seaside towns and (b) towns with high student populations; and what effect this work will have on the size of electorates in these constituencies.

Chloe Smith: As part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER), entries on the electoral register will be matched against data held by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the purposes of confirming existing electors, a process which will simplify the transition for the majority of existing electors. Last year the Cabinet Office undertook pilots to test this process and we published our evaluation of these pilots earlier this year which is available to download from:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplifying-the-transition-to-individual-electoral-registration
	The evaluation report includes an analysis of match rates by population groups and while no specific analysis was undertaken of seaside towns, the results did suggest that match rates were lower in areas with high student populations. However, anyone who cannot be confirmed will still be invited to register individually and will retain their ability to vote in the 2015 general election. By using confirmation to simplify the process for the majority of electors it means resources can be focused on maximising registration among those people who cannot be confirmed, including individuals who are not currently registered. We are also currently running a separate set of pilots exploring whether data matching against DWP and other trusted national data sets can be used to find potential electors who are not currently registered but may be eligible to do so, in order to invite them to register. The results of the pilots, which are specifically targeted at boosting registrations among students, attainers and home-movers, will be published in the summer.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disability Living Allowance: Cystic Fibrosis

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 16 and 64 years old whose main disabling condition is cystic fibrosis have been in receipt of the (a) mobility and (b) care component for disability living allowance at the (i) lower, (ii) standard and (iii) higher rate in each year since 1992.

Esther McVey: The information requested is given in the following tables.
	
		
			 Disability living allowance recipients aged 16-64 with a main disabling condition of ‘Cystic Fibrosis’ by care component rate 
			 Date Higher rate Middle rate Lower rate 
			 August 1992 (1)300 (1)400 — 
			 August 1993 (1)300 (1)400 (1)200 
			 August 1994 (1)300 (1)400 (1)300 
			 August 1995 (1)400 600 (1)300 
			 August 1996 (1)500 700 (1)400 
			 August 1997 600 600 600 
			 August 1998 700 (1)500 600 
			 August 1999 800 700 700 
			 August 2000 900 800 (1)500 
			 August 2001 900 1,000 (1)400 
			 August 2002 900 1,200 (1)500 
			 August 2003 1,000 1,300 (1)500 
			 August 2004 1,100 1,300 (1)500 
			 August 2005 1,200 1,300 (1)500 
			 August 2006 1,300 1,400 600 
			 August 2007 1,300 1,400 600 
			 August 2008 1,500 1,500 700 
			 August 2009 1,600 3,200 600 
			 August 2010 1,700 3,000 700 
			 August 2011 1,270 1,640 700 
			 August 2012 1,310 1,710 740 
		
	
	
		
			 Disability living allowance recipients aged 16-64 with a main disabling condition of ‘Cystic Fibrosis’ by mobility component rate 
			 Date Higher rate Lower rate 
			 August 1992 600 — 
			 August 1993 700 — 
			 August 1994 800 — 
			 August 1995 1,000 (1)100 
			 August 1996 1,100 (1)100 
			 August 1997 1,300 (1)100 
		
	
	
		
			 August 1998 1,400 (1)100 
			 August 1999 1,400 (1)100 
			 August 2000 1,500 (1)100 
			 August 2001 1,600 (1)100 
			 August 2002 1,600 (1)100 
			 August 2003 1,700 (1)100 
			 August 2004 1,800 (1)100 
			 August 2005 1,800 (1)100 
			 August 2006 1,900 (1)100 
			 August 2007 1,900 (1)200 
			 August 2008 2,000 (1)200 
			 August 2009 2,200 (1)200 
			 August 2010 2,100 (1)100 
			 August 2011 1,890 (1)90 
			 August 2012 1,930 (1)100 
			 (1) Figures of 500 or less are subject to a degree of sampling variation and therefore should be used as a guide only to the correct situation. Notes: 1. Figures up to August 2010 are taken from 5% Sample data have been uprated to be consistent with WPLS data and are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures for August 2011 and August 2012 are from 100% data arid are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. ‘–‘ denotes nil or negligible Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate, 5% sample and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data

Employment: Females

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of recent trends in female employment in (a) Clwyd South constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for the recent trends in female employment in (a) Clwyd South constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK. (154118)
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics for areas below the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Table 1 shows the number of women aged 16 and over in the requested geographies who were in employment in the week prior to interview for the 12 month period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month period January 2011 to December 2011 from the APS along with the change in the number between the two periods.
	Table 2 shows the employment rate in the requested geographies for women aged 16 to 64 in the week prior to interview for the 12 month period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest available period, and for the 12 month period January 2011 to December 2011 from the APS along with the change in the number between the two periods.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in table 1.
	A wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment level for women aged 16 and over 
			 Thousand 
			  12 months ending  
			  December 2011 December 2012(1) Change between 12 month periods ending December 2011 and December 2012 
			 Clwyd South 15 **17 1 
			 Wales 620 *623 3 
			 UK 13,414 *13,568 155 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Employment rate for women aged 16 to 64 
			 Percentage 
			  12 months ending  
			  December 2011 December 2012 Change between 12 month periods ending December 2011 and December 2012 
			 Clwyd South 70.3 71.3 1.0 
			 Wales 66.7 67.3 0.6 
			 UK 70.0 70.6 0.6 
			 Source: Annual Population Survey

Food Banks

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department issues guidance to local authorities on engaging with food bank providers and donors to ensure adequate and balanced coverage in their area.

Mark Hoban: Food banks are not part of the welfare system and as such DWP does not offer advice or guidance to local authorities on engaging with them.

Housing Benefit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 26 of the equality impact assessment of the income-related benefits change to the non-dependant deduction rates published in February 2011, if he will commission research to update the conclusions of that paragraph; if he will (a) make and (b) place in the Library an assessment of the (i) potential increase in the number of non-dependants between the ages of 16 and 24 leaving the parental home and claiming housing benefit in their own right following the reduction of their parents' housing benefit through increases in non-dependant deductions and (ii) cost to the public purse of any such increase in (A) Brighton and Hove local authority area and (B) total; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: It is a long-established principle that someone living in a housing benefit claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. The Government have now restored that contribution to the level it would have reached had it not been frozen in 2001.
	The Department has no current plans to update the research to which this question refers. Further, no assessment is available on the potential impacts of non-dependant deductions in housing benefit in respect of (i) or (ii).

Incapacity Benefit: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of incapacity benefit in Bassetlaw constituency have elected not to be reassessed for any successor benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available. However, the Department regularly publishes official statistics on the outcomes of employment and support allowance (ESA) work capability assessments for new claims made to ESA and for incapacity benefits claimants being reassessed for ESA. The latest publication was released in April 2013 and includes a breakdown of incapacity benefits reassessment outcomes by local authority. It can be found on the internet at the following link.
	Employment and support allowance: Outcomes of work capability assessments, Great Britain:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca

Jobcentre Plus

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, columns 702-3W, on Jobcentre Plus, which of his ministerial colleagues visited each of the Jobcentre Plus centres listed in the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: The answer to the hon. Gentleman’s question is in the following table:
	
		
			 Minister Jobcentre Plus Office 
			 Chris Grayling—Minister for Employment Hounslow JCP 
			  Dartford JCP 
			  Haverhill JCP 
			  Chatham JCP 
			  Darlington JCP 
			  Nottingham JCP 
			  Wolverhampton JCP 
			 Mark Hoban—Minister for Employment Hammersmith JCP 
			  City Tower JCP 
			  Grimsby JCP 
		
	
	
		
			  Morriston JCP 
			  Leicester JCP 
			  Wood Green JCP 
			  London Bridge JCP 
			  Loughton JCP 
			  Gloucester Benefit Centre 
			 Maria Miller—Minister for Disabled People Bootle Benefit Centre 
			 Esther McVey—Minister for Disabled People Bootle Benefit Centre 
			  Peel Park Model Office 
			  Runcorn JCP 
			 Lord Freud—Minister for Welfare Reform Stretford JCP 
			  Eastgate JCP 
			  Derby Contact Centre 
			  Folkestone JCP 
			  Wigan JCP 
			  Warrington JCP

Jobseeker's Allowance: Internet

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of new claims for jobseeker's allowance were made online (a) in total and (b) by claimants living in Bassetlaw constituency in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the total percentage of new claims made for jobseeker’s allowance online nationally.
	Data for claimants living in the Bassetlaw constituency are not available in the format requested.
	
		
			  National (MISP measure) (percentage) 
			 May 2012 23.4 
			 June 2012 29.5 
			 July 2012 30.9 
			 August 2012 32.1 
			 September 2012 39.0 
			 October 2012 39.3 
			 November 2012 41.9 
			 December 2012 45.5 
			 January 2013 51.4 
			 February 2013 52.9 
			 March 2013 55.2 
			 April 2013 66.3

Personal Independence Payment: Cystic Fibrosis

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a record of the main disabling condition for claimants of the personal independence payment; and if he will include cystic fibrosis as a category of main disabling condition in any such record.

Esther McVey: The personal independence payment computer system will record the primary disabling condition, using a code based on the International Classification of Diseases which includes cystic fibrosis, together with any number of additional disabling conditions.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Mark Hoban: DWP policy has been developed and implemented which incorporates the principles of the new Act. This includes embedding sustainability by supporting the SME and diversity and equality agendas which are at the heart of the Social Value Act, at the initial and very high-level stages of a proposal, which require ministerial and key stakeholder support. A policy evaluation tool supports this and provides evidence as required.
	Further embedding sustainability at project stage is achieved by undertaking deeper analysis, as more detail becomes available, via a sustainability evaluation tool which includes greenhouse gas analysis.
	Additional steps, where relevant and appropriate, include contractual specifications and contract performance conditions that suppliers to the Department are required to meet. These relate to environmental issues, diversity and equality issues and use of apprenticeships in supply chains and are included in specific contract clauses and schedules that are subject to on going review with suppliers.
	All DWP non-departmental public bodies have been made aware of and are expected to follow this policy.

Publications

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: The Department does not purchase academic journals from publishers directly. Instead a subscription agent and content aggregators are used to achieve economies of scale. Content aggregators provide full text database access to a large number of journals, thus achieving efficiency savings and rendering significant amounts of individual subscriptions unnecessary. Due to the aggregation process and the use of a single agent it is not possible to differentiate the cost by publisher.

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the principal access numbers are for those calling the benefits helpline number; which such lines (a) are free to the caller and (b) may incur a charge to the caller; and if he will take steps to ensure that all calls made to these helplines are recorded.

Mark Hoban: Please find following a table of principal access numbers for all benefit service lines operated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The telephone numbers shown are the Department’s service lines for new claims to benefit and inquiries for working age and pensions benefits.
	All calls made to the Department’s 0800 and 0845 service lines are recorded as a matter of policy.
	
		
			 Business Service Line Telephone Number Cost Incurred/Free (if calling from a BT landline) Free to call from mobile providers?(1) 
			 JCP First Contact 0800 0556688 Free Yes 
			 JCP First Contact Welsh 0800 0121888 Free Yes 
			 JCP Maternity Allowance 0845 6088610 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Maternity Allowance Welsh 0845 6088674 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Primary Benefit Inquiries (2)— Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Primary Benefit Inquiries Welsh (ENQUIRE and IB Migration) 0845 6003018 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP IB Migration 0845 6008192 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Social Fund 0845 6036967 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Workplace Pension Information Line 0845 6001268 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Workplace Pension Information Line Welsh 0845 6008187 Cost Incurred No 
			 JCP Personal Independence Payment Inquiries 0845 8503322 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Pension Service 0845 6060265 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS State Pension Claim Line 0800 7317898 Free Yes 
			 PDCS Pension Credit Claim Line 0800 991234 Free Yes 
			 PDCS National Pension Centre 0845 3013011 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS International Pension Service 0845 6010008 (0191 2187777) Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Helpline 08457 123456 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Carers Allowance 0845-6084321 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Benefit Inquiry Line 0800 882200 Free Yes 
			 PDCS Disability Living Allowance Helpline (DWP) 0845 6020194 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Disability Living Allowance—Motability 0845 6020197 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Disability Living Allowance—Third Party 0845 9000121 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Pension Tracing Service 0845 6002537 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS Pensions Savings for Later Life 0800 6781132 Free No 
			 PDCS State Pension Equalisation 0845 6005362 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS PDCS TPS Pension Credit 0800 7314811 Free Yes" 
			 PDCS State Pension Deferrals 0800 7315413 Free No 
			 PDCS National Pension Centre—Home Responsibilities Payments 0800 9177306 Free No 
			 PDCS Local Service (DWP Visiting) 0800 9179149 Free No 
			 PDCS Winter Fuel Helpline 08459 151515 Cost Incurred No 
			 PDCS State Pension Welsh 0800 7317936 Free Yes 
			 PDCS Changes (Welsh) 0845 6060275 Cost Incurred No 
			 UC Universal Credit Inquiries 0845 6000723 Cost Incurred No 
			 (1) DWP has reached an agreement with O2, Everything Everywhere (formerly Orange and T-Mobile), Vodafone, Three (also known as Hutchison 3G), Tesco Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Cable and Wireless. This agreement allows many DWP customers to make free mobile phone calls from their participating networks to the Department's 0800 customer numbers. (2) Various 0845s—see Table 2 for all 73 English 0845 numbers. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table2 
			  Primary Benefit Inquiry 0845 numbers 
			 Aberdeen 0845 608 8749 
			 Barnsley 0845 608 8560 
			 Basildon 0845 608 8575 
			 Bathgate 0845 608 8630 
			 Belfast 0845 608 8770 
			 Birkenhead 0845 608 8529 
			 Bolton 0845 608 8531 
			 Bristol East 0845 608 8597 
			 Burnley 0845 608 8502 
			 Bradford 0845 608 8556 
		
	
	
		
			 Bury St Edmunds 0845 608 8618 
			 Caerphilly 0845 608 8562 
			 Cannock 0845 608 8676 
			 Canterbury 0845 608 8501 
			 Carlisle 0845 608 8545 
			 Chester 0845 608 8534 
			 Chesterfield 0845 608 8521 
			 Chippenham 0845 608 8621 
			 Chorlton 0845 608 8504 
			 Clyde and Fife 0845 608 8582 
			 Clydebank 0845 600 1506 
			 Coatbridge 0845 608 8645 
			 Cosham 0845 608 8573 
			 Derby 0845 608 8506 
			 Doncaster 0845 608 8508 
			 Exeter 0845 608 8564 
			 Glasgow 0845 603 6347 
			 Gloucester 0845 608 8624 
			 Greenock 0845 608 8598 
			 Hackney 0845 600 6334 
			 Halifax 0845 608 8548 
			 Handsworth 0845 608 8648 
			 Hanley 0845 608 8673 
			 Hastings 0845 608 8757 
			 Hull 0845 608 8546 
			 Huyton 0845 608 8535 
			 Hyde 0845 608 8526 
			 Ilford 0845 600 2612 
			 Kilmarnock 0845 608 8632 
			 Leeds 0845 608 8590 
			 Leicester 0845 608 8525 
			 Lincoln 0845 608 8532 
			 Lisahally 0845 603 5759 
			 Llanelli 0845 608 8554 
			 Luton 0845 608 8627 
			 Mansfield 0845 608 8518 
			 Makerfield 0845 377 6001 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 0845 608 8552 
			 Newport 0845 608 8569 
			 Norwich 0845 608 8571 
			 Nottingham 0845 608 8528 
			 Newcastle 0845 608 8642 
			 Oldham 0845 608 8523 
			 Preston 0845 608 8524 
			 Peterborough 0845 608 8603 
			 Plymouth 0845 603 6095 
			 Ramsgate 0845 608 8626 
			 Ravenhurst 0845 608 8657 
			 Sheffield 0845 600 1267 
			 St Austell 0845 608 8578 
			 St Helens 0845 608 8503 
			 Stockton 0845 600 1651 
			 Sunderland 0845 608 8637 
			 Stratford 0845 600 0148 
			 Totton 0845 608 8620 
			 Walsall 0845 602 0206 
			 Watford 0845 608 8583 
			 Wellingborough 0845 609 4904 
			 Wolverhampton 0845 600 3115 
			 Worcester 0845 608 8665 
		
	
	
		
			 Worthing 0845 608 8715 
			 Wrexham 0845 600 3016 
			 York 0845 608 8550 
		
	
	
		
			 Textphone Services 
			 Business Service Line Number Cost Incurred/Free (if calling from a BT landline) 
			 JCP First Contact English and Welsh and E-Claims Helpline 0800 023 4888 Free 
			 JCP Workplace Pensions 0845 850 0363 Cost Incurred 
			 JCP Social Fund/Maternity Allowance 0845 608 8553 Cost Incurred 
			 JCP Primary Benefit and Ben Cap 0845 608 8551 Cost Incurred 
			     
			 PDCS State Pension Claim Line 0800 731 7339 Free 
			   0800 731 7013 Free 
			     
			 PDCS Benefit Inquiry Line 0800 243 355 Free 
			 PDCS Pension Credit Claim Line 0800 169 0133 Free 
			 PDCS Future Pension Centre 0845 3000169 Cost Incurred 
			 PDCS National Pension Centre 0845 301 3012 Cost Incurred 
			 PDCS International Pension Centre 0800 032 6436 Free 
			     
			 PDCS Changes 0845 60 60 285 Cost Incurred 
			 PDCS  0845 60 60 295 Cost Incurred 
			     
			 PDCS Carers Allowance 0845 604 5312 Cost Incurred 
			 PDCS DLA and AA Main Line 08457 22 44 33 Cost Incurred

State Retirement Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will review the amount which an estate of an individual who has earned extra state pension can claim at the time of their death.

Steve Webb: At the moment, the estate of a single person may make a claim on behalf of the deceased for up to three months of the state pension that was unclaimed at the time of the death. We have no plans to amend these rules.
	Our proposals for state pension reform are set out in the draft Pensions Bill announced in the Queen's Speech and published on 10 May 2013.

State Retirement Pensions

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will change inheritance rules so that an individual can transfer any extra state pension entitlement they have earned to a family member of pension age who is not a spouse or civil partner at the time of their death.

Steve Webb: We have no plans to change the rules on inheritance for the current state pension scheme, and our proposals for changes in the future are set out in the Pension Bill published on 10 May 2013. After the implementation of the single-tier pension entitlement to a state pension will be based on an individual's contribution record only and the facility to inherit or derive any part of entitlement to state pension based on the national insurance contributions of another individual will end, with some transitional arrangements. Under these arrangements it will not be possible to transfer any extra state pension entitlement that may have been built up by the deceased from the deferral of their single tier pension. The detailed mechanics of the process are laid out in a policy paper entitled state pension entitlements derived from a current or former spouse’s or civil partner’s national insurance contributions, published on GOV.uk.

Universal Credit

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of families who will receive universal credit and have one or more members in work but will not have a member eligible to pay income tax in 2015-16.

Mark Hoban: The universal credit caseload in 2015/16 is subject to the detailed approach to migration. The exact timing and sequence of the migration process will be adjusted in the light of experience, not least from operating the pathfinder service in the Greater Manchester area from April 2013.

Universal Credit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the housing cost contribution under universal credit on (a) levels of homelessness and (b) the number of people aged from 21 to 25 years making a separate claim for universal credit to cover housing costs.

Steve Webb: The Government think that it is reasonable that someone living in a claimant's home should be asked to contribute towards the rent. The contribution under universal credit is set at around £16 per week. This contribution will be expected only where the person is either in work or there is an expectation that they should be working. It will not be expected if the person is a carer, responsible for a young child or in receipt of a specified disability benefit.
	No assessment is available on the potential impacts of the housing cost contribution in universal credit in respect of (a) or (b).

Universal Credit

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential number of future universal credit claimants in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available for (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for this geographical area.
	Once universal credit (UC) is fully implemented we expect around 700,000 households to receive UC in (b) Scotland and around 8 million households in Great Britain.
	The impact of universal credit in Northern Ireland is a matter for Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people he expects to be in receipt of universal credit by April 2014;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the earliest date on which one million people will be in receipt of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply I provided him with on 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 69w on how many people have claimed universal credit in the pathfinder to date; and what estimate he has made of the total number of new claims for universal credit that will be processed by all the pathfinders.
	We expect around 7,000 claims to universal credit in the pathfinders. Plans continue to be developed to support the gradual roll-out from autumn 2013 within Budget.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what milestones for the delivery of IT support for universal credit he expects not to be met.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply I provided him with on 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 69-70w to his question on universal credit, and whether our expected timescale for the completion of the IT development for universal credit of spring 2013 for live pathfinders and autumn 2013 is on track.
	The first milestone, to support the start of the Pathfinder on April 29, has been met. Plans continue to be developed to support the gradual roll-out from autumn 2013 within budget.

Universal Credit: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parent families in (a) Bassetlaw constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire will be in receipt of universal credit by the time that scheme is fully implemented; and how many such families will have a (i) higher and (ii) lower entitlement under universal credit than the present system.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for these geographical areas.
	The impacts of universal credit are presented in the universal credit impact assessment available at.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/174996/universal-credit-wr2011-ia.pdf.pdf

Vacancies: Advertising

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobs advertised on the Universal Jobmatch website in (a) Bassetlaw constituency and (b) the UK were for self-employment since the introduction of that website.

Mark Hoban: The proportion of self-employed new job vacancies posted on Universal Jobmatch from the introduction of the website up to 30 April 2013 in Bassetlaw constituency is 25.2%. For the same period in the UK the proportion is 14.4%.

Work Programme: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid to Work programme providers as a result of residents in Bassetlaw constituency being placed in employment which generated a job outcome to date.

Mark Hoban: The total paid to Work programme providers in the UK is £377.9 million from the start of the programme through to 30 July 2012, ie the period covered by the Statistical Release. Due to commercial in confidence considerations we are not able to release financial data below the national level at this time.